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SLN 71
MEANS TO ENSURE GAP FREE COASTAL SURVEILLANCE

Lieutenant Commander (G) KKC Udayanga

1. Introduction

oastal Surveillance in Sri Lanka from country’s defence perspective, has been
a key area of interest for a long time. The importance of this requirement
Chas multiplied in numerous times as the country went through tough times
engaging with the confrontations with the LTTE terrorist organization until the 19th of
May 2009 where the LTTE organization was annihilated completely by the Sri Lankan
armed forces.

As Rahul Roy- Chaudhury mentioned in his book, the need of coastal surveillance
way back in 1971, almost three decades after the country’s independence in 1948, has clearly
been a vital area of Sri Lankan security context.

“In April 1971 the Indian government provided military assistance to Sri Lanka, in
order to counter the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna, a terrorist organization of Maoist origin.
This followed a formal request by the government of Sri Lanka to several countries, including
India, Pakistan and Britain. In the event, India was the first to provide the required military
assistance, in the form of naval and air units. Five frigates carried military supplies to Colombo,
and carried out surveillance duties off the Sri Lankan coast (in association with the miniscule
Sri Lankan navy and a few British warships). The main task of the Indian naval force lay in
preventing the seaborne supply of arms and ammunition to the terrorist movement”
1
However, it is my understanding that the failure of then governments and their de
fence policies to implement a conducive strategy for a complete and timely necessary coastal
surveillance system which in turn, resulted in arms, drugs and many other contrabands
smuggled into the country over the years and as a result of that leaving the country’s security
at stake. This argument is partly true even today’s scenario is concerned.

The lack of an effective and efficient coastal surveillance system and associated
procedures and methodology in the country led not only to the verge of collapse of the
country’s security at the hands of LTTE with their arms, aircraft and other war like materials
smuggled into the country but also leaving a trace of criminal up rise amongst the civil
society with the local criminal gangs who smuggled many contrabands ranging from drugs
to weapons.

However, thankful to the courage of the country’s armed forces and the political
backing of the country, the menace of terrorism was completely annihilated by year 2009
almost after three decades of war and destruction. But, one cannot fully guarantee when
will the next conflict hit the country and how? Instead of that, it can be guaranteed that

1 Rahul Roy Chaudhury, Sea Power and Indian Security, London, BPC Wheatons Ltd, 1995,p62