Colombo | Indian submarine INS Vela arrived in Sri Lanka on Sunday on a three-day visit to the island nation, the Indian High Commission said.

INS Vela is a 67.5m long submarine with a crew of 53 and it is commanded by Commander Kapil Kumar.

The submarine is an indigenous Kalvari-class diesel-electric submarine and it was commissioned into the Indian Navy on November 25, 2021.

During the submarine’s stay in Colombo, its crew is expected to participate in activities organised by the Sri Lanka Navy to strengthen camaraderie between the two navies, the Sri Lankan Navy said in a statement.

In addition, personnel of the Sri Lanka Navy are expected to visit the submarine to take part in an awareness programme on its operational features. Moreover, the crew members of the submarine are expected to explore some of the tourist attractions in the country, it said.

Concluding the official visit, INS Vela will depart the island on November 13.

The visit is classified as an Operational Turn Around (OTR), where the submarine will replenish provisions, the Indian embassy said in a statement.

The Indian Navy / Coast Guard ships and submarines have been making regular Port calls in Sri Lanka.

The visit further strengthens the bilateral cooperation and camaraderie between the two maritime nations in keeping with India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy and the Prime Minister's vision of ‘SAGAR’ which stands for “Security and Growth for all in the Region”, the statement added.

Commander Kapil Kumar will call on the Commander of the Western Naval Area, Rear Admiral WDCU Kumarasinghe at Western Naval Headquarters. Personnel from Sri Lanka Navy and High Commission of India will also visit the sub, The Economynext reported.

A basketball match is planned between the Submarine crew and SLN personnel at Sri Lanka Naval Base in Welisara.