Sri Lankan Contingent for ‘Mithra Shakthi’ Leaves for India

A contingent of 10 Officers and 110 Other Rankers of the Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment (SLSR), designated to participate in the Sri Lanka Army - Indian Army-organized ‘Mithra Shakthi’ joint military Exercise left for India this morning (11).

The ‘Mithra Shakthi’ joint military Exercise, designed to further promote interoperability, military cooperation, conduct of joint tactical operations, sharing of experiences, understanding of transnational military issues, etc is an annual training programme that has been going on between both organizations since the year 2012. It has so far occurred twice in India and twice in Sri Lanka promoting bilateral military understanding and bonds of goodwill.

The Sri Lankan Army contingent, led by Brigadier Ajith Pallawela as the ‘Mithra Shakthi-2017’ Exercise Director, Brigadier Vijith Subasinghe, Colonel N.C Somaweera and Lieutenant Colonel K.M.C.S Kumarasinghe as Observers to the Exercise during October 12-27 will meet their counterparts in the Indian Army at Aundh Military Camp in Pune.

The Exercise, the fifth in the series, also aims at developing joint strategies by sharing the expertise of conducting operations, especially in the counter-insurgency and counter terrorism (CI and CT) environment. It will also include weapon training, basic military tactics and complex battle strategies.

Senior military observers of both countries are scheduled to attend the Final Tactical Exercise at the Aundh Military Station on 25 October.

Colonel M.W.A.A Wijesooriya functions as Deputy Exercise Director of the Sri Lanka Army in the ‘Mithra Shakthi - 2017’ Exercise. On the instructions of Lieutenant General Mahesh Senanayake, Commander of the Army, Major General Chagi Gallage, Director General Infantry is to maintain a close supervision on the Exercise beginning from Thursday (12).

Two previous ‘Mithra Shakthi’ joint Exercises took place at Kudaoya Commando Regiment Training School (2012) and Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment (SLSR) Headquarters at Ambepussa in 2016. Last year, a contingent of 45 Indian Army personnel, including 6 Officers participated in the Exercise, together with their counterparts of the Sri Lanka Light Infantry (SLLI). The Indian contingent in 2016 was represented by a platoon from the Rajputhra Rifles Regiment.

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