India and Sri Lanka Conduct SLINEX-26 Maritime Exercise at Visakhapatnam

India and Sri Lanka are conducting the 13th edition of their annual bilateral maritime exercise, SLINEX-26, at Visakhapatnam from 17 to 21 September 2026. The exercise brings together frontline naval platforms and personnel from both countries for a combination of professional exchanges and operational activities at sea.

SLINEX-26 began with a Harbour Phase under the Eastern Naval Command and will be followed by a Sea Phase focused on coordinated maritime operations. The exercise continues a bilateral naval engagement that was first conceptualised in 2005 and has since developed into an important mechanism for strengthening interoperability, professional understanding and maritime cooperation between the Indian Navy and Sri Lanka Navy.

INS Kavaratti and INS Jyoti Represent the Indian Navy

The Indian Navy is participating with INS Kavaratti, an indigenously built Anti-Submarine Warfare Corvette, and INS Jyoti, a fleet tanker designed to support sustained naval operations at sea.

The Sri Lanka Navy is represented by SLNS Sindurala. The combination of combat and support vessels allows the exercise to cover a broader range of operational interactions while also giving personnel from both navies an opportunity to understand each other’s procedures and working methods.

INS Kavaratti is part of India’s Kamorta-class anti-submarine warfare corvettes and represents the country’s growing indigenous shipbuilding capability in specialised undersea warfare platforms. INS Jyoti provides fleet-replenishment support, allowing naval forces to sustain operations for longer periods away from port.

Harbour Phase Focuses on Professional Interaction

The Harbour Phase began with an opening ceremony and a reception onboard INS Kavaratti for the visiting crew of SLNS Sindurala. The programme includes professional discussions, cross-deck visits and exchanges on naval practices and procedures.

Personnel from both navies are also participating in yoga sessions, sporting events and cultural activities. These engagements are intended to strengthen personal interaction alongside operational cooperation, which has become an important component of recurring bilateral exercises.

Cross-deck visits give sailors and officers the opportunity to observe the equipment, organisation and working practices aboard each other’s ships. Such exchanges help build familiarity before the participating vessels move into the more demanding Sea Phase.

Sea Phase to Focus on Operational Interoperability

The Sea Phase of SLINEX-26 will focus on coordinated activities intended to improve operational synergy and interoperability between the two navies. The exercise allows participating ships to practise working together in a maritime environment while refining communication procedures and operational coordination.

The Indian Navy and Sri Lanka Navy operate in adjoining areas of the Indian Ocean and regularly encounter common maritime-security challenges. Exercises such as SLINEX help both forces develop greater familiarity with each other’s operating procedures, improving their ability to cooperate during maritime-security missions, humanitarian assistance, disaster relief and other contingencies.

The recurring nature of the exercise also provides an opportunity to build on experience from previous editions rather than beginning each engagement from the ground up.

Two Decades of India-Sri Lanka Naval Cooperation

SLINEX was conceptualised in 2005 as a dedicated bilateral naval exercise between India and Sri Lanka. Over more than two decades, the exercise has evolved in scope and complexity while remaining focused on improving maritime cooperation and mutual understanding.

The exercise has become one of the regular institutional mechanisms connecting the two navies. Professional interaction during the Harbour Phase is complemented by operational training at sea, creating a framework that combines personnel-level engagement with practical maritime coordination.

The 2026 edition marks the 13th iteration of the exercise and reflects the continuity of defence and maritime cooperation between the two neighbouring countries.

Maritime Geography Gives the Partnership Strategic Importance

India and Sri Lanka occupy strategically important positions in the northern Indian Ocean, close to some of the world’s busiest maritime trade routes. The waters surrounding the two countries connect the Arabian Sea with the Bay of Bengal and the wider Indo-Pacific maritime system.

This geography gives bilateral naval cooperation practical importance. Maritime security in the region includes protection of shipping routes, surveillance of sea spaces, humanitarian assistance, disaster response and cooperation against non-traditional security threats.

Regular interaction between the two navies helps develop the familiarity required for such cooperation while strengthening communication between neighbouring maritime forces.

SLINEX-26 Aligns With the MAHASAGAR Vision

The Ministry of Defence has placed SLINEX-26 within India’s broader MAHASAGAR vision, which emphasises regional cooperation, maritime security and shared development across the Indian Ocean and beyond.

The exercise reinforces India’s stated objective of supporting a secure, stable and inclusive maritime environment through partnerships with neighbouring and regional countries. Sri Lanka remains particularly important within this framework because of its location, its proximity to India and the long history of naval interaction between the two countries.

SLINEX-26 therefore represents more than a routine training engagement. It continues a long-standing naval relationship while providing both sides with a practical platform to strengthen coordination in one of the world’s most strategically important maritime regions.

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References

Ministry of Defence / Press Information Bureau — India-Sri Lanka Annual Bilateral Maritime Exercise SLINEX-26, 20 September 2026
https://www.pib.gov.in/

Indian Navy — Bilateral and Multilateral Maritime Exercises
https://www.indiannavy.nic.in/

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