The newly built air-conditioned accommodation type Wave Rider IPCs (P 265 and P 266) were officially launched into service recently  at the SLNS Vijaya base pier in Kalpitiya.

The Red Sea is a crucial Indian Ocean entrance that is largely anchored by the Suez Canal, in terms of strategic significance between Europe, Asia and Africa, which entered the hot zone of geopolitics. Compared to other nations not as dependent on international trade, as a small open economy, Sri Lanka is exposed to the risk of Red Sea conflict disruptions. In light of this, the Institute of National Security Studies (INSS) of Sri Lanka, the premier think tank on national security established and functioning under the Ministry of Defence organised a roundtable on September 02, 2024 entitled, “Widening Red Sea Conflict: Implications for the Global Economy and Sri Lanka”. The discussion, held at the Ministry of Defence, explored how increased maritime risks, potential diversions in trade routes and economic instabilities can affect Sri Lanka as an island nation.