Following a historic voyage from Baltimore to Colombo, the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Decisive was officially commissioned into the Sri Lanka Navy as SLNS Samudra Vijaya (P628).
Acting U.S. Ambassador Jane Howell joined President Anura Kumara Dissanayake at the commissioning ceremony to formally induct the vessel into service. The cutter is the fourth ship to join the Sri Lanka Navy under the United States’ Excess Defense Articles (EDA) Program.
The addition of SLNS Samudra Vijaya is expected to further strengthen Sri Lanka’s maritime capabilities, particularly in combating drug trafficking and other illicit activities, conducting search and rescue operations, and safeguarding vital shipping lanes in the Indian Ocean.
The assignment underscores the shared commitment of Sri Lanka and the United States to enhancing maritime security, maintaining the free flow of maritime trade through critical shipping routes, deterring transnational crime, and promoting a safer and more secure Indo-Pacific region.
Warm congratulations were extended to the ship’s crew on achieving this significant milestone.
