The announcement follows plans by Sri Lankan army to increase its troops numbers by 50% to 300,000.
Newly appointed Navy Commander Thisara Samarasinghe on Thursday July 16 said he expects to form a naval air wing for the Navy and also have more ships with missile capabilities.
“The naval air wing is not a dire necessity but it is a requirement in any future event,” Vice Admiral Samarasinghe who assumed duties as the 16th Navy Commander on Wednesday July 15 said in his inaugural news conference held at Navy Headquarters.
He further said the Navy had four war ships that could carry helicopters in each vessel.
“But we don’t have helicopters for these vessels, although we have vessels for the purpose.
Samarasinghe also said the Navy needed missile technologies for the naval ships.
“We have two war ships suitable for missile launching operations, but we don’t have that facility as those equipment are very expensive,” he said adding that “navies of other neighbouring countries possessed the missile technologies in their naval ships.”
