The ‘Exercise - Cormorant Strike III - 2012’, the third successive joint military exercise (blue forces), organized by the Army with the participation of about 2000 tri-service personnel of Sri Lanka’s Armed Forces and foreign military personnel, is to take place in the Eastern Vakarai area during September 10-25, it was announced in a Media briefing Tuesday (4) afternoon at Malay Street.

The 16 day-long joint military exercise is a suggestion, proposed by Secretary Defence and Urban Development, Mr Gotabaya Rajapaksa to the Commander of the Army, two years ago, and is comprised of mock ‘Raids on boat yards’, ‘Taking of high value targets’, ‘Reconnaissance’, ‘Surveillance on targets’, ‘Airborne operations’, ‘Seaborne operations’, ‘Amphibious landing’, ‘Path-finding missions’, ‘Para jump into enemy strongholds’, ‘Ambushes’, ‘Search operations’, ‘Counter terrorist actions and Hostage Rescue Mission,’ and suchlike under directions of Brigadier Ruwan Kulatunge, Director, ‘Exercise - Cormorant Strike - III’.

Tuesday’s Media briefing, headed by Director General General Staff, Major General Jagath Alwis, disclosed that the Exercise, manned by eight-member teams and closely watched by a separate set of observers, is to be attended by foreign military personnel of Maldives, Pakistan, Bangladesh and India as per confirmed participation. India is to send two observers. Navy and Air Force Media coordinators were also in attendance.

The multi-national land force leading novel Exercise incorporates a wide range of new dimensions and highlights the importance of sustaining regional cooperation with special focus on ‘opposition to terrorism’ and other peripheral threat issues.

Last year’s Exercise consisted of a mock operation, ‘Hostage Rescue Mission’, one of the most daring simulated feats in the project and over 110 Commando Regiment officers, 90 Special Forces officers, 400 Sailors and 150 Air Force personnel took part in the Exercise.

Amphibious Task Force will conduct a series of tasks ranging from inducting and de-inducting troops to providing naval gunfire support while naval troops involving landing tanks and crafts will carry out major amphibious landings at first light during this exercise.

Army Commandos and Special Forces as strategic forces that come directly under the command of the Commander of the Army, Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasuriya will provide the major share to the whole of the Exercise.

Initiatives of the Army saw the first joint Exercise of this nature and magnitude take place in November 2010, nearly one and half year after culmination of the war for peace. The Sri Lanka Air Force inducted Special Forces and Commandos into enemy-held areas and staged a simulating rescue operation as a special feature to the training components and received the attention of the participating troops.

Major General Jagath Alwis, Director General General Staff, Brigadier Ruwan Wanigasuriya, Military Spokesman,  Brigadier R. Nugera, Director Training, Brigadier R. Kulatunge, Director Operations, Brigadier G.V Ravipriya, Director Plans and several other senior officers were associated with Tuesday’s Media Briefing.