Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) formally took the delivery of the EX-United States Coast Guard Cutter, USCGC Douglas Munro, provided by the United States to SLN, in a ceremony held at the U.S. Coast Guard Base Seattle of Washington in the United States on 26th October 2021. On behalf of Commander of the Navy, Vice Admiral Nishantha Ulugetenne, the event was attended by Chief of Staff of the Navy, Rear Admiral YN Jayarathne. As such, the ship formally joined the SLN fleet from 26th October 2021 under the pennant number P 627 and the main mast of the ship will fly the National Flag effective from the very date.
Aiming to strengthen and develop partnerships to overcome common challenges in the maritime domain, U.S. Coast Guard has previously provided two ships to SLN and they are currently patrolling island waters by the names of ‘Samudura’ (P 621) and ‘Gajabahu’( P 626). As an extension of partnership ties that bring value to each other’s service, Ex-USCGC Douglas Munro was transferred as the third ship to be handed to SLN.
Ex-USCGC Douglas Munro, the second ‘Hamilton Class High Endurance Cutter’, received by the SLN measures 115m in length, capable of attaining maximum speed of 29 knots and endurance of 14000 NM at cruising speed. Further, she has been designed for 187 of crew and is equipped with state of the art weapons and machinery. The ship which was used by the U.S. Coast Guard has rendered an exceptional service during her tenure by curbing illegal fishing, illegal immigration and the seizure of over 11.5 tons of cocaine in U.S. waters.
Sri Lanka inherits an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) that is seven times larger than the landmass. In such a backdrop, the Navy is determined to deploy this vessel in wide-ranging operations that include conservation of marine resources in the region and search and rescue of naval and fishing communities in distress. Thereby, the Navy will be able to utilize this vessel efficiently in the future to achieve the national aspiration, while making safe and secure seas for all for economic affairs. In the same vein, SLNS Samudura (P 621) and Gajabahu (P 626) the Offshore Patrol Vessels received by SLN from the U.S. Coast Guard on previous occasions has been conducting a praiseworthy role for the island nation and has contributed to the seizure of large consignments of drugs being smuggled via sea routes.
For More Details ( https://news.navy.lk/eventnews/2021/10/27/202110271400/)
