‘Cormorant Strike - III’ gets off ground
The third joint military ‘Exercise - Cormorant Strike III – 2012’,
organized by the Army with the participation of about 2000 Tr i-Service
personnel, including 40 foreign military representatives, kicked off on
Monday (10) morning after a briefing at Minneriya Army camp.
The 16 day-long joint military exercise is a suggestion, mooted by
Defence and Urban Development Ministry Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa to
the Commander of the Army, two years ago, and is comprised of mock
‘Raids on boat yards’, ‘Taking of high value targets’, ‘Reconnaissance’,
‘Surveillance on targets’, ‘Airborne operations’, ‘Seaborne operations’,
‘Amphibious landing’, ‘Path-finding missions’, ‘Para jump into enemy
strongholds’, ‘Ambushes’, ‘Search operations’, ‘Counter terrorist
actions and Hostage Rescue Mission,’ and suchlike under directions of
Brigadier Ruwan Kulatunge, Director, ‘Exercise - Cormorant Strike -
III’.
Participants in this novel ‘Exercise - Cormorant Strike - III’ Monday
(10) morning received a full briefing from the commanding officers in
the event after reconnaissance teams were inserted.
Nine teams of eight-member Special Forces, together with trainees are
scheduled to proceed to Verugal area by dusk on Monday (10) to commence
the ‘Exercise - Cormorant Strike - III’ proper. Eleven officers and 29
Other Ranks from the Armed Forces in China, Pakistan, Bangladesh,
Maldives and India are currently in the East to take part in the event
in response to invitations, extended by the Army Directorate of
Training.
The multi-national land force leading novel Exercise incorporates a
wide range of new dimensions and highlights the importance of sustaining
regional cooperation with special focus on ‘opposition to terrorism’ and
other peripheral threat issues.
Last year’s Exercise consisted of a mock operation, ‘Hostage Rescue
Mission’, one of the most daring simulated feats in the project and over
110 Commando Regiment officers, 90 Special Forces officers, 400 Sailors
and 150 Air Force personnel took part in the Exercise.
Amphibious Task Force will conduct a series of tasks ranging from
inducting troops to providing naval gunfire support while naval troops
involving landing tanks and crafts will carry out major amphibious
landings at first light during this exercise.
Army Commandos and Special Forces as strategic forces that come
directly under the command of the Commander of the Army, Lieutenant
General Jagath Jayasuriya will provide the major share to the whole of
the Exercise.
Initiatives of the Army saw the first joint Exercise of this nature
and magnitude take place in November 2010, nearly one and half year
after culmination of the war for peace. The Sri Lanka Air Force inducted
Special Forces and Commandos into enemy-held areas and staged a
simulating rescue operation as a special feature to the training
components which received the attention of the participating troops. |