US-Donated SLNS Samudravijaya Officially Commissioned into Sri Lanka Navy
06-Jun-2026.
The SLNS Samudravijaya, donated to Sri Lanka by the United States Coast Guard and having completed a historic 12,000-nautical-mile voyage, has been officially commissioned into the Sri Lanka Navy.
The commissioning ceremony was held at the Port of Colombo on June 5, with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and US Embassy Chargé d'Affaires Jane Howell attending as chief guests.
The voyage represents the longest journey undertaken by a Sri Lanka Navy crew to bring a vessel to the country and marks the Navy's first transit through the Panama Canal. Departing from Baltimore, Maryland, on February 20, the vessel crossed three oceans before arriving in Trincomalee on May 8.
Among those present were Deputy Defence Minister (Retd.) Major General K.P. Aruna Jayasekara, Defence Secretary (Retd.) Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha, Navy Commander Vice Admiral Kanchana Banagoda, and US Embassy Senior Defence Official Lieutenant Colonel Matthew Howes.
Formerly known as the US Coast Guard cutter Decisive, the vessel is the fourth ship transferred to the Sri Lanka Navy under the United States Excess Defence Articles Programme. It joins the Samudura, Gajabahu, and Vijayabahu already in service, making Sri Lanka the recipient of the highest number of vessels under this programme.
Speaking at the event, Jane Howell described the vessel as an enduring symbol of US-Sri Lanka cooperation and a shared commitment to a free, secure, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region.
Lieutenant Colonel Matthew Howes commended the Sri Lanka Navy's professionalism and technical expertise, stating that few partners had demonstrated a similar commitment to operating and maintaining such vessels successfully.
Defence authorities noted that the new ship would further strengthen Sri Lanka's maritime security capabilities, including border protection, combating illegal fishing and drug trafficking, search and rescue operations, and responding to humanitarian emergencies.
