Navy bids farewell to two Warships
October 14, 2020Sri Lanka Navy Ship (SLNS) ‘Weeraya’ and ‘Jagatha’ were decommissioned ceremonially at a function held at the Naval Dockyard, Trincomalee on Monday (12 Oct).
Both naval ships during their service at the 3rd Fast Gun Boat Squadron were rendered a precious service to the nation.
Their service during the early 1980s at the outbreak of Eelam War I, is praiseworthy and they were also deployed to curb arms smuggling and terrorist actions around the seas off Karainagar Island during the period.
The decommissioning ceremony of two warships was carried out following the approval of His Excellency the President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
In 1972 and 1980, SLNS Weeraya and SLNS Jagatha were commissioned.
SLNS Weeraya was initially commissioned as Her Majesty's Ceylon Ship ‘Weeraya' and subsequently she was retitled as SLNS ‘Weeraya’ along with the state becoming a republic.
While exercising naval customs and traditions, paying off pennants (long pennants equivalent to the ships length) was ceremonially separated into equal pieces and were given to the ships’ crew.
Produced in the People’s Republic of China in 1961, and after a commendable service over four decades, the two ships were decommissioned leaving their memory in a legacy.
The decommissioned ships will reach their new destination at the seabed off Trincomalee Port making those fine artificial fish breeding grounds.
All the ceremony proceedings were organized in keeping with the healthcare guidelines as a preventive measure for Coronavirus.
Rear Admiral (Retd) JTG Sundaram, who had commanded ‘Weeraya’ from Jan 1, 1980 to Jan 25, 1981 as the sixth Commanding Officer also graced the occasion as a guest of honour.
Navy Commander Vice Admiral Nishantha Ulugetenne, Eastern Naval Area (ENA) Commander Rear Admiral Ruwan Perera, Flag Officer Commanding Naval Fleet Rear Admiral YMGB Jayathilake, Deputy Area Commander (ENA) Commodore Anura Danapala, Commanding Officers of both decommissioned ships and senior naval officers were also present at the occasion.
