NEW DELHI, DEC 3: Sri Lanka is shopping for military hardware in India and impressed with the performance of offshore patrol vessel (OPV) INS Saryu, has returned for more.Presently, almost 200 Sri Lankan sailors are undergoing training at the Kochi-based Naval Training Command, learning various trades related to functions of a military ship. ``The training of Sri Lankan sailors is an ongoing process. Their numbers vary from 100-200 and need not be ship-purchase specific,'' a naval spokesman said.Naval sources, however, confirmed that the Indian Navy trained the crew of the offshore patrol vessel sold to Sri Lanka. During his recent visit, the Sri Lankan Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) Vice Admiral H.S. Tissera expressed a desire to purchase more ships. ``Sri Lankan officials have visited the Mazagaon Docks Limited (MDL) in Mumbai and also the Garden Reach Ship builders at Calcutta. They will shortly be placing orders,'' sources in the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said.To strengthen its coast patrolling capabilities, Sri Lanka had placed an urgent demand for an offshore patrol vessel with India. ``We had purchased three from Korea in March 1987 and the same year acquired four more. They have proved to be excellent for patrolling the coastal belt and also for providing an effective logistics back up to the smaller fast attack crafts. Following Sri Lanka's urgent request we gave them one of our ships,'' said one official.The Navy has expressed its inability to provide another OPV since it is now left with only six. Three OPVs are said to be stationed in Mumbai and the rest at Kochi and Vishakhapatanam. The Coast Guard (CG) also have three OPVs which are indigenously manufactured. ``There was a lot of debate before the INS Saryu was sold to Sri Lanka. Not because of coalition politics but because of the repercussions militarily. There could also be law and order problems. So we decided to remove the bigger guns on board and then sell the ship to Sri Lankan Navy,'' he added.The large patrol craft is lightly armed but can tale helicopters. With a displacement of 1,890 tonnes, the vessel can attain a top speed of 21 knots and has a crew of 140 sailors, including 15 officers. Its armaments include a 40 mm Bofors gun and four 12.7 mm machine guns. ``The number of machine guns can be increased depending upon the requirement. But the one sold to Sri Lanka was without the Bofors gun,'' sources said.The Sri Lankan naval officers and sailors at Kochi are being trained in gunnery, anti-submarine warfare, communication and a number of other trades. ``There is no ship ready for them to buy. Once the contract is concluded it would take at least three to four years to build a ship. But we expect some progress during the forthcoming visit of the Sri Lankan foreign minister,'' he added.
