Navy Chief Reveals Sri Lanka Involvement in Red Sea Operations

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka Navy’s vessel, Gajabahu, was part of the US-led Operation Prosperity Guardian, and was involved in these operations for a duration of 22 days.

In an exclusive interview during the face-to-face program hosted by Wasantha Pradeep Masinghe, Vice Admiral Priyantha Perera, Sri Lanka's Navy Commander, shed light on the Gajabahu’s contributions to the international maritime security efforts. 

The Navy Commander denied that the Sri Lanka Navy Ship was deployed in secret, emphasizing that such operations must ensure its covert nature.

He said that as the situation in Red Sea had an impact on Sri Lanka, the country's Navy has a commitment in addressing regional security concerns.

The Navy Commander noted that Sri Lanka, as a signatory to the Law of the Sea Convention, plays a crucial role in maintaining order and safety at sea. 

The Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) is a multinational maritime partnership, which exists to uphold the Rules-Based International Order (RBIO) by countering illicit non-state actors on the high seas and promoting security, stability, and prosperity across approximately 3.2 million square miles of international waters, which encompass some of the world’s most important shipping lanes.

The Combined Maritime Force, established by the US Navy, comprises 41 member and partner nations, and collaborates to combat piracy threats. Over the years, this force has successfully prevented pirates from infiltrating critical sea lanes.

"Somewhere in 2011, the activities of Somali pirates in the region intensified, and thereafter the Combined Maritime Force was activated with the deployment of a number of ships to counter pirate activity," elaborated the Navy Commander. 

He said when Operation Prosperity Guardian was launched, it was mentioned that it would be ideal if Sri Lanka can also deploy assets to the region.

"The President, upon understanding the situation, noted that we need to be deployed," he noted, adding that Sri Lanka was NOT deployed to the Red Sea, but to Combined Task Force 150, in the Indian Ocean Region.

According to the Navy Commander, the Red Sea comes under Combined Task Force 153 (CTF 153) , one of the five task forces operated by Combined Maritime Forces (CMF).

CTF 153’s mission is to focus on international maritime security and capacity building efforts in the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandeb and Gulf of Aden.

According to the Combined Maritime Forces,  CTF150 conducts Maritime Security Operations (MSO) outside the Arabian Gulf to ensure that legitimate commercial shipping can transit the region, free from non-state threats.

Vice Admiral Priyantha Perera, Sri Lanka's Navy Commander, said during the deployment of SLNS Gajabahu to CTF150, a drug transport vessel was intercepted.

"We intercepted a boat, however, it took place durign the day. As our approach was visible during the day, the crew of that boat had dumped their illicit cargo in to the sea. They were transporting around 200 kilograms of ICE, or Crystal Meth," said the Navy Commander.

He assured that the government did not incur any additional expense following the deployment of SLNS Gajabahu to Operation Prosperity Guardian.

The Prosperity Guardian operation, which aims to enhance regional stability and cooperation, saw the Sri Lanka Navy collaborating closely with its counterparts.

On the 3rd of January, speaking in Colombo, Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe revealed the country's decision to join international efforts against the Houthis in Yemen, and announced the deployment of a Sri Lanka Navy ship to the Red Sea.

The Sri Lanka Navy acting on that order, commenced the preparation of vessels for deployment, thereafter. 

About Prosperity Guardian:

Houthi rebels, who control large swathes of Yemen, have launched missile attacks on vessels passing through the Red Sea, demanding an end to the Israeli attacks on Palestine.

Their main targets are commercial ships linked to the US and Israel, and the Houthis carry out these attacks using Drones and Missiles. 

Attacks by the Houthis on commercial ships in the Red Sea have disrupted the region's crucial shipping activity, including the primary route for vessels entering the Mediterranean Sea through the Suez Canal. 

This disruption has prompted some ships to reroute their journeys, opting for the longer but safer passage around South Africa. 

The US-led Operation Prosperity Guardian is already underway and covers a wider area than just the Red Sea, encompassing the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman.