Sri Lanka Navy celebrates its 58th Anniversary

Sri Lanka Navy elites introduced a new concept of counter terrorist warfare at seas
Sri Lanka Navy celebrates its 58th Anniversary on the 09th of December 2008 with a wide collection of spiritual and social functions conducted to mark the historical occasion. Many naval ceremonies are listed to be held in keeping with the traditions and customs of the Navy. Today , Sri Lanka Navy has evolved into its current important rank as a pioneering, expert and a victorious marine force observing the standard naval protocols and executing a key role in eradicating the scourge of terrorism from our motherland. It traces its origin as far rear as the year 1937 when it began its journey under the name of Ceylon Naval Volunteer Force (CNVF) recognized to get together the objectives and the supplies of the British Imperialist circlet who ruled our country then. Thereafter, it got absorbed into the Royal Navy after the World War II as the Ceylon Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve (CRNVR) which finally twisted out to be Royal Ceylon Navy on 09th of December 1950 consisting of a nucleus of 100 officers and men. In 1972, with the introduction of the first republican establishment, Royal Ceylon Navy took on its present name, Sri Lanka Navy.
The humble journey of the Sri Lanka Navy thus begun, has journeyed many a maritime mile gathering fair winds most of the time since its inception. It has so far been boldly and strategically steered forward by many a stalwart Commanding official at the helm. When we trace back along its memorable history line, we begin to see how the Navy has evolved under all the Commanders who have steered it hitherto. As such, the qualitative and quantitative development in various aspects of the Navy has been in survival all along in varying degrees. However, the renaissance that has taken place in the Navy in the present war situation under the present Naval High authority stands above them all; sole and inimitable.
In the past, the Navy used to be conventional and remained mainly ceremonial; Moreover, as far back as mid 2005, it was complacent about the role it was playing by being only reactive to the threat posed by the emerging LTTE sea power in our territorial waters. This usually unenergetic approach of being only reactive helped the opponent to forge into a force which, at one time some thought that it was a force that is hard to be tackled because of the advantage it had exhibited in certain encounters with the Navy.
This clich‚ of the misnomer, largely perpetrated by its group and pro-media, that the LTTE is powerful at sea and posing a huge threat to the Navy, has been made to track rear towards its nullity since of the timely and intentionally prudent measures initiated and implemented by the present Naval High Command who have brought about an all round renaissance in every aspect of the Navy, both at sea and on land where naval personnel, proving their prowess ,capability and courage, stay on stable attentive to fight LTTE terrorism. The Navy is being fortified in its task of protecting the territorial integrity and the sovereignty of the motherland.
Under the present Naval High Command, weapons in the Navy do not get rotten and dull by sea gentle wind; they are kept ever honed as pointed as finely weak and tempered arrow points; all the craft, from the low profile small Fast Attack Craft, which has established lethal against LTTE sea tigers, to the big Off Shore Patrol vessel, which devastated the LTTE international logistics network, remain in constant willingness with ultra modern weapons mounted and competent gunners and sailors prepared to meet adversary any attack.


Queen Elizabeth II accorded a Royal Guard of Honour by SL Navy in 1981
Naval personnel are by no means idle, nervous, and lethargic; they are agile life form bodily fit; they are deft having been trained by battle experts; they are well groomed in the ardent fervour of love for the motherland. Above all, they are extremely patriotic and devoted to the service that they render in safeguarding the territorial honesty and the sovereignty of the country. The high quality of their performance, outstanding morale in the battlefield, inexorable determination to execute a task assigned, the restricted and orderly manner in which they act, the fine dexterity, capability and the accuracy that they exhibit in targeting their adversary and above all, the humane qualities embedded in the naval workers are the consequences of the fine training and the constant care and concern shown towards its men by the able hands that grip the helm so strategically and shrewdly.
"Victory is the main thing of war. If this is long delayed, weapons will turn out to be dull and the ardour of the soldiers will be dampened" is a fact emphasized by Sun Tzu which is worthy of following by any great warrior who is engaged in a combat to cause the down fall of his enemy, however mighty and influential he might be. fascinatingly, for the fortune of our nation, the present Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy Vice Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda at the helm, has proven that he has been steering the Sri Lanka Navy in line with Sun Tzu ushering in a new winning era making the Navy proactive with a proliferation of the latest innovations which have been greatly instrumental in creating a total disarray and the ultimate death of the enemy. Therefore, the Sri Lanka Navy is indeed so blessed to have such a competent head at the helm to direct her at this crucial phase of war.


Spectacular SLN band parading on independence day -2008
It is in this background that one can observer the Navy coming of age heroically and remarkably send-off from littoral waters to deep blue seas when the Navy caused the obliteration of the enemy provide vessels which are rightly named as "floating armories". The destruction of these vessels that fed the LTEE with ultra modern weaponry and belligerent materials to assault civilians and the safety forces is careful to be the turning point in the continuing counter terrorist operations.
Finally, it is pertinent to note that the fleet has vastly developed with the passage of time ushering in an era where it can transit from its traditionally confined limits to broader farseeing viewpoint with much ease enabling it to record more important victories in the records of the country's history.