Sri Lanka Navy, in accordance with naval traditions, welcomed two Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF) ships arrived at the Port of Colombo on Thursday.
The two Japanese Defence Force ships Samidare DD-106 and Sazanami DD-113 arrived at the Port of Colombo on 28th November 2013 on a goodwill and supply visit, the Navy said.
The ships are en route for Counter Piracy Operations off the Coast of Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden.
Head of the mission, Commander Escort Division IV, Captain Hiroaki Tajiri and Ships’ Commanding Officers, Commander Takashi Saito and Commander Yasihiro Hayashi paid a courtesy call on Commander Western Naval Area, Rear Admiral Sirimevan Ranasinghe of the Sri Lanka Navy at the Western Naval Command Headquarters in Colombo. They held cordial discussions and exchanged mementos as a gesture of goodwill.
Both “Samidare” and “Sazanami” are destroyers, which are 151 meters in length. “Samidare” has a displacement of 4,550 tons while “Sazanami” has a displacement of 4,650 tons. Each consists of a complement of 190 naval personnel onboard.
The ships’ complements will participate in a special programme organized by the Sri Lanka Navy during their stay in Sri Lanka.
The visiting Japanese ships will stay in Sri Lanka until 29th November.
Via: http://www.colombopage.com/
