Visakhapatnam: Sri Lankan naval ships Sayura and Sagara entered Visakhapatnam harbour on Thursday to participate in the fifth edition of SLINEX 2017, a bilateral naval exercise between India and Sri Lanka, from September 7 to 14.

The exercise will be conducted in two phases, with the harbour phase from September 7 to 10 at Visakhapatnam and the sea phase that will be from September 11 to 14 in the Bay of Bengal.

The two Sri Lankan naval ships Sayura and Sagara are Indian built Off-shore Patrol Vessels.

From the Inian side, INS Gharial, an amphibious ship, INS Kora, a missile corvette and Chetak helicopter will be participating in the war games on behalf of the Eastern Fleet.

The exercise will commence with a harbour phase during which the participating navies will engage in professional, cultural and social interactions.

The harbour phase will be followed by the sea phase which will commence on September 11.

The sea phase will include complex operations including anti-piracy exercises, gun firings, cross-deck helicopter operations and anti-surface exercises.

SLINEX series of bilateral maritime exercises were initiated in 2005. Over the years they have helped the two navies to understand each other's procedures and enhance inter-operability.

The benefits of operational interactions under the aegis of SLINEX are clearly visible as both the navies today have an improved and steadfast understanding. SLINEX 17 will further enhance the capability of the two navies to work together at sea and contribute towards maritime security in the region.