New Delhi, March 7 : The 9th edition of India- Sri Lanka Bilateral Naval Exercise SLINEX commenced at Visakhapatnam on Monday. The exercise is being conducted in two phases- the Harbour Phase at Visakhapatnam on March 07-08, followed by the Sea Phase on Mar 09-10 in the Bay of Bengal, the Navy said. “Sri Lanka Navy will be represented by SLNS Sayurala, an advanced offshore patrol vessel and the Indian Navy by INS Kirch, a guided missile corvette. Other participants from the Indian Navy include INS Jyoti, a Fleet support tanker, Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH), Seaking and Chetak Helicopters and Dornier Maritime Patrol Aircraft,” the Navy said in a statement. The previous edition of SLINEX was conducted off Trincomalee in October 2020. The naval exercise aims to enhance inter-operability, improve mutual understanding and exchange best practices and procedures for multi-faceted maritime operations between both navies, the Navy said. Exercises during the Sea Phase will include surface and anti-air weapon firing exercises, seamanship evolutions, aviation operations including cross deck flying, advanced tactical manoeuvres and special forces operations at sea, the Navy said. The Navy said that SLINEX exemplifies the deep maritime engagement between India and Sri Lanka and has grown in scope over the years to strengthen mutual cooperation, in consonance with India’s policy of ‘Neighbourhood First’ and the PM’s vision of ‘Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR)’. ASU RKM