The Sea Tigers was the naval wing of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) during the Sri Lankan Civil War. It was founded in 1984. The Sea Tigers had a number of small but effective suicide bomber vessels. During its existence it had gained a reputation as a capable adversary for the Sri Lankan Navy. During the civil war, the Sea Tigers had sunk at least 29 Sri Lankan small inshore patrol boats, 20 Dvora-class fast patrol boats, 3 gunboats, 2 Large surveillance command ships, and one freighter.
The Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) is the naval arm of the Sri Lanka Armed Forces and is classed as the country's most vital defence force due to its island geography. It is responsible for the maritime defence of the Sri Lankan nation and its interests. The role of the Sri Lanka Navy is to conduct operations at sea for the defence of the nation and its interests and conduct prompt and sustainable combat operations at sea in accordance with the national policies.
The Padahuthurai bombing or Illuppaikadavai bombing happened on January 2, 2007, when the Sri Lanka Air Force bombed what they claimed to be rebel LTTE naval base in Illuppaikadavai in Northern Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission, the local Roman Catholic bishop, and the LTTE claimed 15 minority Sri Lankan Tamils, including women and children, were killed and 35 injured due to the bombing.
The Tamil Eelam Air Force or Sky Tigers was the air service branch of the Divisions of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, who used it against the Government of Sri Lanka. They also called themselves the Tamileelam Air Force (TAF). Though the existence of the Sky Tigers had been the subject of speculation for many years, the existence of the wing was only revealed after an attack in March 2007, during Eelam War IV.
The Special Boat Squadron is the Sri Lanka Navy's elite special forces unit, modeled after the British Special Boat Service. It was raised in 1993.
The Battle of Point Pedro was a naval battle that occurred on May 12, 2006 near Point Pedro, Jaffna, Sri Lanka. The Sri Lankan Navy was attacked by a group of Tamil Tiger boats. A group of SLN attack boats was escorting a troop transport, the MV Pearl Cruise II which was carrying 710 soldiers for the city of Jaffna which had been under siege for the previous six years.
The Battle of Pooneryn took place between the militant Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and the Sri Lankan military during the Sri Lankan Civil War for control of the military base in Pooneryn in northern Sri Lanka from 11 November to 14 November 1993.
The Super Dvora Mark II-class patrol boats is a high-speed class of patrol boats meant for a variety of naval missions from typical off-shore coastal patrol mission profiles to high-speed, high-maneuver littoral warfare. Built by Israel Aerospace Industries for the Israeli Sea Corps, the Super Dvora Mark II is the successor to the Dvora-class fast patrol boats. The Super Dvora Mark IIs have been employed by the Sri Lanka Navy to counter LTTE operations at sea.
The Dvora-class fast patrol boat is a fast class of patrol boats built by Israel Aerospace Industries for the Israeli Sea Corps based on the Israeli Dabur class.
The Ultra Fast Attack Craft, commonly known as the UFAC or Colombo class, is a Sri Lankan ultra high-speed class of patrol boats meant for a variety of naval missions from off-shore coastal patrol missions to high-speed, high-maneuver littoral warfare. They are based on the Shaldag boats made by Israel.
The Super Dvora Mark III-class patrol boat is the latest generation of the Dvora family of fast patrol boats or fast attack craft (FPB/FAC). Manufactured by IAI Ramta in 2004 these vessels are capable of travelling up to 50 knots in littoral waters thanks to its state of the art thrust vectoring control Articulated Surface Drives (ASD) while holding various armaments, from automatic grenade launchers, AGM-114 Hellfire missiles, SPIKE NLOS missiles, and 30 mm cannons in its armory.
The 4th Fast Attack Flotilla is a force element flotilla of the Sri Lanka Navy. The flotilla's mission is to provide heavily armed and fast patrol boat capability to counter sea tiger movements along the coast and to protect naval and civilian shipping from sea tiger suicide crafts.
Attack on Galle Harbour was a suicide attack carried out by 15 Sea Tigers of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on the commercial Galle Harbour and Sri Lanka Navy base SLNS Dakshina in the tourist town of Galle in southern Sri Lanka.
Lieutenant Commander Jude Lakmal Wijethunge, was an officer in the Sri Lanka Navy. He was a proud product of Ananda Central College Elpitiya. As a Lieutenant, he commanded the Dvora-class fast patrol boat P458 of the 4th Fast Attack Flotilla. He was posthumously awarded the Parama Weera Vibhushanaya, Sri Lanka's highest military award for gallantry, for his actions on 30 March 1996 in defending a Navy transport from a Sea Tiger attack. As part of an escort to the transport vessel, Wijethunge fought off repeated attacks until his craft had suffered severe damage including to its engines, and all his crew were incapacitated. Noticing a Sea Tiger suicide boat, Wijethunge maneuvered the P458 to intercept it causing the suicide boat to ram into his vessel. The resulting explosion destroyed both vessels, thereby saving the transport vessel which was the target of the suicide boat. Two members of his crew were later rescued from the waters. He was posthumously promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Commander in addition to receiving the Parama Weera Vibhushanaya, and is the first naval officer to receive the award.
K. G. Shantha was a senior non-commissioned officer in the Sri Lanka Navy. He was killed in a sea battle against the Sea Tigers, the naval wing of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, in the seas of northern Sri Lanka. He posthumously received the Parama Weera Vibhushanaya, the country's highest award for gallantry, and is the second recipient of the medal from the navy.
Rear Admiral Dissanayake Mudiyanselage Sarath Dissanayake RWP, RSP, VSV, USP, NDU, MMS, HDMC, ADIDSM, AIMA, JP is a retired Sri Lankan admiral. Rear Admiral Sarath Dissanayake joined Sri Lanka Navy in 1982 as an Officer Cadet of the 11th Cadet Intake. During his highly decorated naval career, Rear Admiral Dissanayake had served in many ships and establishments and imparted his hard-earned experience and knowledge for the progress of the Navy.
SLNS Ranaviru was a Type 062I-class fast gun boat of the Sri Lanka Navy, attached to the 3rd Fast Gun Boats Squadron from 1991 when she was commissioned to 1996 when she was sunk by two Sea Tiger suicide crafts off the coast of Mullaitivu.
The Battle of Point Pedro 2007 was a naval battle that occurred on June 19, 2007 near Point Pedro, Jaffna, Sri Lanka. The battle took place when Sri Lankan Navy patrol boats were attacked by a group of Tamil Tiger patrol boats off the shore of Point Pedro.
The Battle off the coast of Mullaitivu was a naval battle fought between the Sri Lanka Navy and Sea Tigers on 23 March 1997, off the coast of town of Mullaitivu which has been under control of the LTTE since the Battle of Mullaitivu in 1996.
Attack on Colombo Harbour was a suicide attack carried out by six Black Sea Tigers of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on Colombo Harbour, which is the primary commercial port in Sri Lanka.