China and India to take part in military exercise in Sri Lanka

By APD writer Easwaran

COLOMBO, August 25 (APD) – China and India are to take part in a joint military exercise in Sri Lanka next month, the Sri Lankan military said on Friday.

The joint annual Field Training Exercise (FTX), ' Exercise - Cormorant Strike VIII - 2017 ' organized by the Sri Lankan army will see the participation of 2675 army, navy and air force troops, including 62 foreign military participants andobservers.

Major General Amal Karunasekara, Chief of Staff or the Sri Lanka army addressing the media

The military exercise it to be staged from 3 September to 24 September 2017 in the eastern part of the country, Major General Amal Karunasekara, Chief of Staff or the army said.

Using special operational tactics, 2108 infantrymen, including largely the commandos, special forces and mechanized infantry regiment troops of the army, 370 sailors and 197 airmen, together with those foreign military men and observers from Bangladesh, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Indonesia, Malaysia, China, Russia, USA, Brazil, Sudan, Iraq, Israel, Oman, Turkey, Iran and Kenya would formally join the mega exercise.

This year’s Exercise 'Cormorant Strike' has been designed on a new conceptual notion of the Commander of the army, Lieutenant General Mahesh Senanayake under the close supervision of the exercise director and a special committee.

The Exercise transmits and shares the sea of experiences the Sri Lanka army has had gathered in the world's biggest and most successful humanitarian operation before May 2009 when Sri Lanka defeated the Tamil Tiger rebels after 30 years of war.

The exercise is to be coupled with simultaneous mock seaborne and airborne operations of the navy and air force, and is slated to further enhance special operation capabilities of the army mechanized infantry columns, backed by naval troopsto maintain combat readiness at all levels.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)