Sri Lanka drops naval drill with Pakistan near Trincomalee after India airs security concerns

The drills, part of routine military ties between Colombo and Islamabad, were shelved following New Delhi’s intervention.

The timing—just ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Colombo—heightened India’s concerns.

While there was no official announcement from Sri Lanka or Pakistan, it is understood that “India communicated its apprehensions directly to Sri Lankan authorities, prompting the cancellation.”

Trincomalee, on Sri Lanka’s northeastern coast, is considered a strategic asset with the potential to dominate the Bay of Bengal and northeast Indian Ocean.

Experts suggest India’s unease stemmed from Pakistan’s close naval ties with China, raising the possibility of increased Chinese maritime presence through Pakistani warships.

India has had prior concerns—such as the docking of China’s tracking ship Yuan Wang in Hambantota in 2022 and another Chinese vessel in Colombo a year later.

In recent years, India has stepped up its strategic engagement in Sri Lanka, especially in Trincomalee, with plans to develop the area into a regional energy hub.

During Modi’s visit, India, Sri Lanka, and the UAE signed a landmark deal for this purpose.

A defence pact was also inked, institutionalising military cooperation nearly four decades after relations were strained by the Indian Peace Keeping Force’s intervention.

India has also provided military aid, including a Dornier maritime surveillance aircraft in 2022 to support Sri Lanka’s security needs.