The navies of Sri Lanka and India conducted a joint naval exercise in the sea off Trincomalee in Sri Lanka’s Eastern Province. The joint naval exercise between the two nations was conducted after a gap of 6 years. The exercise was named “Operation Slinex II” and was aimed to develop greater interoperability and rekindle close cooperation between the two navies. It is hoped that Slinex II” will pave way for both navies to rehearse the concept of joint naval operations and enhance skills by gaining expertise through each other’s experience. Since the last joint naval exercise with Sri Lanka was held in 2005, the current operation is a huge step in bridging the gap between the two navies who maintained a close affinity during Sri Lanka’s battle against the extremist outfit LTTE in the north and north eastern waters. It should be here noted that in the recent past, India has been instrumental in maintaining military ties with Sri Lanka by providing various incentives in terms of specialized training. India has trained thousands of Sri Lankan personnel at its military institutions ranging from Counter-insurgency and Jungle Warfare School at Vairengte (Mizoram) to School of Artillery at Devlali (Maharashtra). India has also imparted training to Sri Lankan personnel’s by providing specialized naval courses in gunnery, navigation, communication and anti-submarine warfare. The premier Indian Military Academy at Dehradun has even run special courses to train hundreds of gentlemen cadets from Sri Lanka