A planned military exercise between the navies of Pakistan and Sri Lanka in the strategic waters off Trincomalee was shelved a few weeks ago after New Delhi conveyed its concerns to Colombo, according to multiple sources.
Trincomalee, located on Sri Lanka’s northeastern coast, is a critical hub in the Indian Ocean region and holds significant importance for India’s maritime security interests.
Sources indicated that the navies of the two countries had planned to conduct the exercise as part of their routine engagements. However, the plan was dropped after India communicated its apprehensions to Sri Lanka.
The proposed joint exercise had been scheduled weeks ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Colombo, the sources said.
The navies of Pakistan and Sri Lanka share cordial relations, with warships from both countries regularly visiting each other’s ports and engaging in wargames. However, there was no official statement regarding the proposed exercise from either Sri Lanka or Pakistan.
Military experts highlighted Trincomalee’s strategic value, noting that it offers the ability to dominate the Bay of Bengal and much of the northeastern Indian Ocean. They agreed that New Delhi’s concerns over the proposed exercise were justified.
Experts also noted that the Pakistani Navy operates closely with China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy, giving India additional reasons for concern over any Pakistani naval presence in Trincomalee.
Tensions surrounding foreign naval visits to Sri Lanka have surfaced before. The docking of the Chinese missile and satellite tracking ship “Yuan Wang” at Hambantota port in August 2022 sparked a diplomatic row between India and Sri Lanka. Similarly, the arrival of another Chinese warship at Colombo port in August 2023 raised further concerns in New Delhi.
In recent years, India has sought to strengthen its strategic ties with Sri Lanka, particularly focusing on developing Trincomalee’s energy infrastructure. India is especially keen on revitalising the oil tank farms in Trincomalee, which boasts one of the world’s finest natural harbours.
During Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Colombo this month, India, Sri Lanka, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) signed an ambitious agreement to develop Trincomalee into an “energy hub” to help Sri Lanka achieve energy security and drive economic growth.
Significantly, India and Sri Lanka also signed a defence pact during the visit, aimed at institutionalising military cooperation — marking a major step in boosting defence ties nearly four decades after the strained relations caused by the Indian Peace Keeping Force’s intervention in the 1980s.
India’s broader strategic engagement with Sri Lanka includes the handover of a Dornier maritime surveillance aircraft three years ago, provided from the Indian Navy’s inventory to support Sri Lanka’s immediate security needs.
(Source: PTI)
