The Sri Lanka Maritime Rescue Coordinating Centre (SLMRCC) is a planned center responsible for coordinating air-sea rescue within the territorial waters of Sri Lanka and international waters. It will be located at the Naval Headquarters with a sub unit based at Hambantota, under a grant from the Government of India. [1]
A coast guard or coastguard is a maritime security organization of a particular country. The term embraces wide range of responsibilities in different countries, from being a heavily armed military force with customs and security duties to being a volunteer organization tasked with search and rescue without law enforcement authority. In most countries, a typical coast guard's functions are distinct from those of the navy and the transit police, while in certain countries they have similarities to both.
Search and rescue (SAR) is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger. The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, typically determined by the type of terrain the search is conducted over. These include mountain rescue; ground search and rescue, including the use of search and rescue dogs ; urban search and rescue in cities; combat search and rescue on the battlefield and air-sea rescue over water.
The National Maritime Museum or National Maritime Archaeology Museum in Galle, Sri Lanka is situated within Galle Fort. It was first opened to the public on 9 May 1992 and is located in a 1671 Dutch Warehouse above the Old Gate of Galle Fort. Whilst the building housing the museum survived the impact of the 26 December 2004 tsunami, the adjoining UNESCO Maritime Archaeology Unit was completely destroyed and all the exhibitions were flood damaged and the majority of maritime archeological artifacts were lost. Under Sri Lanka – Netherlands Cultural Co-operation Program, the Royal Government of Netherlands provided financial assistance for reconstruction of the Maritime Museum. After 3 years period of reconstruction, the Maritime Museum was re-opened to the public.
The Hong Kong Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre (HKMRCC) is responsible for coordinating air-sea rescue in Hong Kong and an extensive area of the South China Sea. Besides the territorial waters of Hong Kong, the area includes international waters lying to the north of latitude 10° north, to the west of longitude 120° east, and bounded by mainland China, Vietnam, the Philippines and Taiwan. The area covered is known as the Hong Kong Maritime Search and Rescue Region.
The Sea Tigers was the naval wing of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam 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 attack craft, 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 and 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 Sri Lanka Air Force is the air arm and the youngest of the Sri Lanka Armed Forces. It was founded in 1951 as the Royal Ceylon Air Force (RCyAF) with the assistance of the Royal Air Force (RAF). The SLAF played a major role throughout the Sri Lankan Civil War. The SLAF operates more than 160 aircraft.
SLNS Samudura (P621) is a Sri Lanka Navy Offshore Patrol Vessel. Originally commissioned by the United States Coast Guard in 1968 as the medium endurance cutter USCGC Courageous, she was donated to Sri Lanka in 2004 and commissioned on February 19, 2005.
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.
India–Sri Lanka relations, Indian-Sri Lankan relations, or Indo-Sri Lanka relations, are the bilateral relations between India and Sri Lanka. India has emerged as the foremost partner for Sri Lanka in the endeavor to revitalize its economy, reform its bureaucracy, and enhance decision-making processes for future economic collaborations. Both countries have reached an agreement to strengthen their economic and energy ties, signaling a new phase of cooperation and mutual benefits. Only 4% of Sri Lankans have a negative view on India, the lowest of all the countries surveyed by the Ipsos GlobalScan. The two countries are also close on economic terms with India being the island's largest trading partner and an agreement to establish a proto single market also under discussion at an advanced stage. There are deep ethnic and cultural links between the two countries. India and Sri Lanka share a maritime border. India is the only neighbour of Sri Lanka, separated by the Palk Strait; both states occupy a strategic position in South Asia and have sought to build a common security umbrella in the Indian Ocean. Both India and Sri Lanka are republics that are members of the Commonwealth of Nations. India has achieved the distinction of being the initial nation to submit its formal endorsement for the financial assistance and debt restructure proposal of Sri Lanka to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), headquartered in Washington. In a bid to foster and safeguard the Buddhist connections between India and Sri Lanka, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi unveiled a grant assistance of USD 15 million during the Virtual Bilateral Summit in September 2020. This financial support is intended for various purposes, including the restoration or establishment of Buddhist monasteries, the education of young monks, the enhancement of interaction among Buddhist scholars and clergy, the establishment of museums dedicated to Buddhist heritage, the facilitation of cultural exchanges, collaborative efforts in archaeology, and the mutual showcasing of The Buddha's relics.
The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre Halifax is a rescue coordination centre operated by the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG).
The Sri Lanka Coast Guard (SLCG) is a Sri Lankan non-ministerial government department tasked with coast guard duties within the territorial waters of Sri Lanka. It comes under the purview of the Ministry of Defence and its members are all naval personnel. The current Director General of the SLCG is Rear Admiral Pujitha Vithana
No. 3 Maritime Squadron is a maritime patrol squadron of the Sri Lanka Air Force. It was disbanded in 1993 and its aircraft taken over by the No. 8 Light Transport Squadron. It was reestablished in 2019.
The Ming–Kotte War was a military conflict between the expeditionary forces of Ming China and the Sinhalese Kotte Kingdom in the southern territories of Sri Lanka. The conflict happened when Ming China's treasure fleet returned to Sri Lanka in 1410 or 1411. It resulted in the overthrow of King Alakeshvara of the Alagakkonara feudatory, who was replaced by Parakramabahu VI of the previous royal family.
A rescue co-ordination centre (RCC) is a primary search and rescue facility in a country that is staffed by supervisory personnel and equipped for co-ordinating and controlling search and rescue operations.
India–Sri Lanka maritime boundary agreements were signed in 1974 and 1976 between India and Sri Lanka to define the international maritime boundary between the two countries. Treaties on maritime boundary were necessary to facilitate law enforcement and resource management, and to avoid conflict, in the waters since both countries located closely in the Indian ocean, particularly in Palk Strait.
The Indonesian Maritime Security Agency is a maritime patrol and rescue agency of the Republic of Indonesia. Bakamla is a non-ministerial government institution which reports directly to the President through Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs. Bakamla's duty is to conduct security and safety patrols in the territorial waters of Indonesia and the jurisdiction of Indonesia. Previously Bakamla was a non-structural institution called the Coordinating Agency for the Security of the Republic of Indonesia. The agency is not part or associated with the Indonesian National Armed Forces, although its top-ranking leadership are handpicked from the Indonesian Navy. Bakamla and the Indonesian Navy, however, often conduct exercises and joint-operation together. While during search-and-rescue operations, Bakamla also conduct joint-operations with the National Search and Rescue Agency.
MT New Diamond is a very large crude carrier. On 3 September 2020, the ship caught fire off the western coast of Sri Lanka, resulting in the death of a Filipino crew member. After burning intermittently for almost a week, the fire was reported to be extinguished by 11 September. In July 2021 the ship was beached at Gadani Ship Breaking Yard.
X-Press Pearl was a Singapore-registered Super Eco 2700–class container ship. The vessel entered service in February 2021 and was around 186 metres (610 ft) long. It was operated by X-Press Feeders.