Sri Lanka, India joint military exercise commences

Special OPerations personnel of the Sri Lankan and Indian armies will be engaged in a joint military exercise from Monday

A contingent of Indian Army Special Force troops together with a corresponding Sri Lankan contingent of Special Forces and Commandos, along with Navy and Air Force personnel will launch the training Exercise - Mithra Shakthi' at Uva-Kudaoya Commando Regiment Training School (CRTS) Monday, reports the Colombo Page web site.

A contingent of 168 officers and other ranks from Sri Lanka Army Special Forces and Commando Regiment, accompanied by 16 officers and other ranks from Sri Lanka Navy and 16 officers and other ranks from Sri Lanka Air Force, together with 42 Indian Army Special Force troops, will participate in the exercise until November 23.

The 'Exercise - Mithra Shakthi' is an initiative, designed largely by the Indian Army following the 'Annual Defence Dialogue' (ADD) that was co-chaired in Colombo early October by both Indian Defence Secretary R.K. Mathur, and Secretary to Ministry of Defence and Urban Development Gotabhaya Rajapaksa.

Implemented under the directions of the Sri Lankan Army Commander Lieutenant General Daya Ratnayake, the exercise is aimed at sharing knowledge and experience between Special Operation Forces of both Sri Lanka and Indian Armies through enhancement of interoperability, joint efforts and mutual exchange of Special Operation tactics.

Following the ADD held in January 2012, a Sri Lankan contingent of 48 service personnel took part in a similar Exercise in New Delhi, India at the invitation of the Indian Army.