COLOMBO, August 2019: The Sri Lanka Navy held a commissioning ceremony at the Colombo port on August 22 for the China-gifted frigate “P625”, which was renamed “SLNS Parakramabahu”.
Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena, who is also Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces, was the Chief Guest at the event while other top officers and officials who attended the ceremony included Secretary to the Ministry of Defence, General (Rtd) Shantha Kottegoda, the Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China in Sri Lanka, Cheng Xueyuan, Chief of Defence Staff, Admiral Ravindra Wijegunaratne, Commander of the Army, Lieutenant General Shavendra Silva, Commander of the Navy, Vice Admiral Piyal De Silva, Commander of the Air Force Air Marshal, Sumangala Dias, Chief of Staff of the Navy, Rear Admiral Nishantha Ulugetenna, Deputy Chief of Staff and Director General Operations, Rear Admiral Niraja Attygalle, and the Defense Attache of the Chinese Embassy, Senior Colonel Xu Jianwei.
Navy Commander, Vice Admiral Piyal De Silva briefed President Sirisena on the advanced features and modern facilities of the new ship, which is equipped with weapons, communications, aviation and other hi-tech operating systems.The Commander of the Navy also presented a memento to President Sirisena to mark the occasion.
President Sirisena handed over the Commissioning Warrant to the captain of the frigate, Captain Nalindra Jayasinghe and later went around the vessel showing keen interest in its equipment. He thanked the Chinese government for donating a ship with advanced sensors and weaponry to the Sri Lanka Navy.
Named after the great Sri Lankan King Parakramabahu, the frigate is 112 meters long and 12.4 meters wide, has a full displacement of 2,300 tons and can carry 110 personnel, including 18 officers. It can travel at a maximum speed of 25 knots and has an endurance of 3500 nm at 18 knots. With the acquisition of the frigate, the surveillance capabilities of the navy will be greatly enhanced.
Built at the Hudong Zhonghua Shipyard in Shanghai, China, and commissioned in 1994, the frigate was handed over to the Sri Lanka Navy at Shanghai on June 5 after being converted into an Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) following a major refit that was carried out at a cost of USD 28 million. The vessel arrived in Colombo on July 8.
SLNS Parakramabahu will be utilized for patrol and surveillance missions in the deep seas around the island, providing a boost to maritime security and assisting in search and rescue operations.
