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NAVSTRAT-2030

The technological advancement of navies worldwide is achieved through the integration of
Artificial Intelligence (AI), automation, satellite-based applications, smart and secure IT options
etc. The future force of SLN to be compatible with the latest technology and without the support
of international partners this may not be a reality. The collaborative training programmes with
international partners with National Defence College (NDC), Defence Services Command and
Staff College (DSCSC), General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University (KDU), Naval and
Maritime Academy (NMA) and other training institutes have shown progressive improvement.
The collaboration with more international partners to seek knowledge transfer is one of the key
focuses. The military technology is rarely shared even among partners. Accordingly, future
collaboration with international partners to leverage shared capabilities and expertise depends on
how best we strategize our maritime forces and other agencies.

Explore Joint Ventures for the Procurement and Maintenance of Naval Assets

Procurement and maintenance of naval assets are costly affairs necessitating partner counters and
joint ventures aiming for the common good. A futuristic framework is required for strategizing
current and future acquisitions. The Australian Border Force supported the SLN force optimization
as a joint venture donating two Bay class ships and continuing their support for post-delivery
maintenance on a goodwill basis. US Coast Guard has already donated three ships after
refurbishing to augment the SLN fleet capability with Follow On Technical Support (FOTS). India
has always supported SLN fleet augmentation through the provision of ships, sensors and weapons
along with numerous technical assistances. China has always supported SLN efforts through the
donation of ships and other military assets followed by technical assistance. Pakistan supported
SLN through the provision of weapons and ammunitions including technical assistance. The
defence dialogues and Navy-to-Navy staff talks are arranged through diplomatic channels and the
exchange of Subject Matter Experts Exchanges (SMEEs) in various fields is ongoing. The sharing
of information and MDA has augmented with the establishment of Information Fusion Centre
(IFC) Colombo and which in turn enhanced the capabilities of MRCC Colombo. A wide range of
international support is required for maintaining an operational fleet and other supporting
operations. Thus, exploring joint ventures for the procurement and maintenance of naval assets
require a more futuristic realization of the maritime surrounding.

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