SLINEX

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SLINEX (Sri Lanka India Naval Exercise) is a series of naval drills between the Indian Navy and the Sri Lanka Navy. The first SLINEX was held in 2005, and the 12th edition took place in 2025.

Key editions

- SLINEX-13 (2013): Off the coast of Goa, 4–7 November 2013. Participants included INS Talwar and SLNS Sagara. The exercise had a harbour phase (4–5 November) and a sea phase with debrief (6–7 November). Major activities included replenishment at sea, visit-board-search-seizure, surface firing on a floating target, flying operations, and asymmetric threat operations.

- SLINEX-4 (2015): Off Trincomalee, Sri Lanka, 27 October–15 November 2015. Vessels included SLNS Sayura, SLNS Samudura, SLNS Sagura, INS Kora, INS Kirpan, and INS Savitri.

- SLINEX-2018 (2018): Off Trincomalee, Sri Lanka, 7–13 September 2018. Vessels included SLNS Sayurala, SLNS Samudura, SLNS Suranimala, INS Sumitra, INS Kirch, and INS Cora, along with two Dornier aircraft and a helicopter from the Indian Navy.

- SLINEX 2020 (2020): A three-day exercise to showcase growing cooperation. Navies worked with anti-submarine warfare corvettes INS Kamorta and INS Kiltan, the offshore patrol vessel Sayura, and Sri Lankan training ship Gajabahu.

- SLINEX 2024 (eighth edition): Planned off Trincomalee for 19–21 October, but the exercise was conducted 17–20 December 2024 near Visakhapatnam. It included harbour and sea phases, with INS Sumitra and SLNS Sayura taking part. The sea phase featured joint exercises with Special Forces, gun firing, communications drills, and helicopter operations.

- SLINEX-12 (2025): Hosted by Sri Lanka, 14–18 August 2025. Harbour phase (14–16 August) took place at the Port of Colombo, followed by the sea phase (17–18 August). A Special Forces team from both navies participated. The Indian Navy ships displayed the tricolour at Colombo on 15 August, India’s Independence Day.