(PICTURES) Navy launches Ship in a Box maritime training

COLOMBO (News 1st); Commander of the Navy, Vice Admiral Nishantha Ulugetenne declared open the Navy’s first ever Ship in a Box (SIAB) training facility at the Special Boat Squadron (SBS) Headquarters on 07th July 2021.

The facility remains to be the Navy’s first ever fully-fledged training model of that calibre with world-class facilities.

The Rs. 25 million worth project was sponsored by the United Nations Office on Drugs & Crime (UNODC) under the Global Maritime Crime Programme (GMCP).

Meanwhile, the Navy made its skilled manpower and expertise available for the construction work which commenced on 30th November 2019.

The SIAB will facilitate to carry out Visit, Board, Search and Seizure (VBSS) operations conducted by the SBS Headquarters for local and foreign stakeholders from maritime law enforcement authorities, with improved standard and a novel approach.

The opening event was organized in compliance with COVID-19 protocols due to pandemic concerns. Meanwhile, the SBS personnel staged a demonstration elaborating the paractical aspects of the SIAB.

Deputy Chief of Staff and Commander Eastern Naval Area, Rear Admiral YN Jayarathne, Head, Global Maritime Crime Programme at UNODC, Mr. Alan Cole, Director General Operations, Rear Admiral Prasanna Mahawithana, Flag Officer Commanding Naval Fleet, Rear Admiral Lasantha Gamage, Commanding Officer Special Boat Squadron, Captain Nissanka Wickramasinghe, Technology Project Expert from Global Maritime Crime Programme, Mr Geraint Roberts and a limited group of senior officers and sailors from the Navy Headquarters, Eastern Naval Command and Special Boat Squadron were present on this occasion.