The USS Tulsa (LCS 16), an Independence-variant littoral combat ship of the United States Navy, arrived at the Port of Colombo on Wednesday for a scheduled port visit — its second call at Sri Lanka in two years, the Daily Mirror reported.
The visit is intended to strengthen the maritime partnership between the two countries and support cooperation on peace, security and prosperity in the Indian Ocean region.
US Ambassador to Sri Lanka Eric Meyer said naval calls build working relationships between the two countries’ sailors.
“Every American ship that visits Sri Lanka is an opportunity to deepen the friendship between our countries and the bonds between our sailors. We are grateful for the warm welcome Sri Lanka continues to extend to our sailors. These visits build the trust and relationships that make our partnership stronger and help our countries work together when it matters most.”
The ship will refuel and resupply before continuing its mission in the Indo-Pacific, according to the U.S. Embassy in Colombo, which described the call as a goodwill visit.
Where it fits in the naval relationship
The embassy and both newsrooms placed the visit against a longer record of cooperation between the US and Sri Lankan navies, including ship visits, professional exchanges, training and the Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) exercise series. These are described as building interoperability — the ability of the two navies to operate together.
The USS Tulsa last visited Colombo in August 2025.
The ship
The Daily Mirror carried technical detail the other reports did not. The Tulsa was built by Austal USA at Mobile, Alabama, has a trimaran hull and can exceed 40 knots. Its flight deck and reconfigurable mission spaces allow it to operate helicopters, small boats and unmanned systems, and to carry personnel and equipment for a range of maritime tasks. The class is designed for maritime security, sea control and operations alongside partner navies, and for work in both shallow water and the open ocean.
A discrepancy on the arrival date
The reports do not agree on when the ship docked. The Daily Mirror, filing on 7 October, says it arrived “today”. The U.S. Embassy release, issued on 7 October, also places the arrival that day. Hiru News, filing on the same date, says it arrived “yesterday” — which would make it 6 October.
Two independent accounts, one of them the originating primary, give 7 October. This article follows them.
Not reported
No report gives the length of the visit, the date of departure, the size of the ship’s company, or whether any crew engagements ashore, joint exercises or official calls are scheduled. Neither the Sri Lanka Navy nor the Ministry of Defence is quoted in any of the filings, and no Sri Lankan official is named as having received the vessel.
Sources: Daily Mirror, Hiru News, U.S. Embassy in Sri Lanka.
