SLNS Sayura
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 SLNS Sayura |
|
| Career (SLN) |  |
|---|---|
| Builder: | Hindustan Shipyard Limited |
| Laid down: | 25 June 1988 |
| Launched: | 16 October 1989 |
| Acquired: | 2000 |
| Commissioned: | 2000 |
| Homeport: | SLN Dockyard, Trincomalee |
| Fate: | Active |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 1,650 tons |
| Length: | 101.95 metres |
| Beam: | 11.5 metres |
| Propulsion: | 2 × diesel engines, 12,800bhp, driving two shafts. |
| Speed: | 21.5 knots |
| Range: | cruise 15 knots |
| Endurance: | 6,000 miles |
| Complement: | 15 officers, 125 enlisted |
| Armament: | 1 40mm, 60-cal Bofors anti-aircraft gun, 2 12.7mm machine guns, additional weapon systems added. |
| Aircraft carried: | 1 HAL Chetak |
SLNS Sayura (Sayura, in Sinhalese: Sea) is the Flag ship and an Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) of the Sri Lanka Navy. She was formally the INS Sarayu, a Sukanya class patrol craft of the Indian Navy sold to Sri Lanka in 2000. She was refitted with new armament before being delivered to the Sri Lanka Navy.
[edit] Operations
Sayura is tasked with deep sea patrolling both within the Sri Lankan territorial waters and in international waters to curb ongoing arms smuggling by the LTTE. In recent months after undergoing a major refit in India, Sayura, along with other OPVs of the Sri Lankan Navy, has successfully intercepted several ships smuggling arms for the LTTE. In all these cases the ships were sunk when they attacked the naval vessels with mortars.
[edit] INS Sarayu
Commissioned 10 April 1991, INS Sarayu (P54) served with the Indian Navy until she was sold to Sri Lanka in 2000.
