Indian Naval Ship ‘Sharda’, a Sukanya-class offshore patrol vessel (OPV), will visit Colombo from 10 to 13 June 2026 for operational turnaround (OTR) and transhipment of stores from the Indian Army for the Sri Lankan Army’s deployment in a UN mission. The items will be formally handed over in a ceremony at the Ministry of Defence on 16 June 2026.
On arrival, the commanding officer of the ship, Commander Kartik Sachdeva will be calling on the Commander, Western Naval Area, Rear Admiral SJ Kumara, and the ship’s crew will have professional and sports interactions with the Sri Lanka Navy.
In the run-up to International Day of Yoga, a joint yoga session is being planned for the ship’s crew and SLN personnel towards showcasing it’s benefits for achieving physical, mental and spiritual well-being.
Visits by Indian Navy vessels to Sri Lanka aim to further strengthen the strong bonds between both friendly navies, which is in line with India’s policy of ‘Neighbourhood First’ and the Hon’ble PM’s vision of ‘Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions (MAHASAGAR)’.
