The 12th iteration of the India-Sri Lanka naval exercise SLINEX concluded in mid-August 2025 after a sea phase west of the Sri Lankan capital Colombo. The five-day exercise included each navy’s special forces and the Sri Lanka Air Force.
Vessels included the Indian Navy destroyer INS Rana and fleet tanker INS Jyoti, and the Sri Lanka Navy patrol ships SLNS Vijayabahu and SLNS Sayura.
The exercise strengthened interoperability, enabled exchange of best practices and procedures, and reaffirmed the navies’ shared commitment to safeguarding security in the Indo-Pacific, the High Commission of India stated.
The three-day harbor phase included expert exchanges, simulator training, and cultural visits and sports competitions to build camaraderie. The sea phase included surface firing drills, tactical maneuvers, seamanship, helicopter operations, and search and rescue training.
The navies conducted “a wide spectrum of operations across the ocean region to fulfill the nations’ and regional maritime aspirations. These regular maritime exercises play a vital role in sustaining their operational readiness by enhancing capabilities, advancing technology and sharpening professional skills,” the Sri Lanka Navy stated.
SLINEX-2025 reflects the importance of the nations’ security ties amid China’s growing regional presence. Notably, Sri Lanka leased its Hambantota Port to China for 99 years in 2017 after defaulting on its debt payments under China’s One Belt, One Road infrastructure scheme. The lease provides China a valuable asset along Indian Ocean sea lanes and could advance Beijing’s military ambitions.
In response, India has:
- Helped Sri Lanka launch its Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in June 2024 with a $6 million grant. The Sri Lanka Navy-operated facility includes seven uncrewed coastal installations and serves as the control center for search and rescue operations.
- Leased an Indian Navy Dornier patrol aircraft to the Sri Lanka Air Force under a recent three-year agreement to enable Sri Lanka to extend its maritime surveillance.
- Reached defense and energy agreements in April 2025 after talks between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, according to The Associated Press. Modi said the nations would cooperate on Indian Ocean security through the Colombo Security Conclave, which also includes Bangladesh, Maldives and Mauritius. “The security of both countries is interconnected and co-dependent,” he said.
Sri Lanka also is a key partner of the United States.
“Sri Lanka’s key position at the crossroads of the Indian Ocean is strategically vital,” Adm. Samuel J. Paparo, Commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, said during a March 2025 visit to the National Defense College in Colombo. “These shores border key sea lanes that connect the Pacific to the Indian Ocean to all seas. And this geography allows Sri Lanka to influence maritime activities crucial to the entire Pacific.”
He noted Sri Lanka’s current leadership of Combined Task Force 154, one of five task forces operated by Combined Maritime Forces, a U.S.-led multinational partnership to train navies for enhanced interoperability and maritime security in the Middle East. Paparo also cited Sri Lanka’s role in Operation Prosperity Guardian, the U.S.-led multinational military mission to counter Houthi rebel attacks on shipping in the Red Sea.
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