Three Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy warships—“HE FEI”, “WUZHISHAN”, and “QILIANSHAN”—arrived at Colombo Port yesterday morning (Aug 26) for a formal visit, greeted by the Sri Lanka Navy in accordance with naval traditions.
The “HE FEI” is a 144.50-meter-long destroyer with a crew of 267 personnel under Captain Chen Junfeng. The “WUZHISHAN” is a 210-meter-long Landing Platform Dock, crewed by 872 members and commanded by Captain Fei Zhang. The “QILIANSHAN,” also a 210-meter-long Landing Platform Dock, has a crew of 334 under Captain Xiong Binghon, as per the Sri Lanka Navy.
The Commanding Officers of these warships are scheduled to meet with the Commander of the Western Naval Area, Rear Admiral Chinthaka Kumarasinghe, at the Western Naval Command Headquarters yesterday.
To foster camaraderie, the ship crews will participate in several programmes organized by the Sri Lanka Navy. Additionally, they will explore local tourist attractions and provide briefings on their ships’ operational functions to Sri Lankan naval personnel.
These Chinese warships are set to depart the island on August 29 after conducting a Passage Exercise (PASSEX) with a Sri Lanka Navy ship off Colombo’s coast.
In addition, the Indian Naval Ship (INS) Mumbai, a 163-meter-long Destroyer with a crew of 410 commanded by Captain Sandeep Kumar, also arrived at Colombo Port this morning. Captain Kumar called on Rear Admiral Chinthaka Kumarasinghe at the Western Naval Command Headquarters yesterday.
The INS Mumbai crew will also visit local attractions and hold an operational briefing for Sri Lanka Navy personnel. The ship is scheduled to depart on August 29 following a PASSEX with a Sri Lanka Navy ship off Colombo’s coast.