The Australian government has handed over five high-performance all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and 12 long-range drones to the Sri Lanka Coast Guard, in a donation timed to coincide with the launch of the third phase of joint Australia–Sri Lanka maritime security exercise Operation Disi Rela.
The handover took place on Monday, 8 June 2026, NewsFirst reported. The Phase 3 deployment runs until 17 June and spans Colombo, Trincomalee, Valaichchenai, Batticaloa and Mirissa — a five-port footprint covering the western, eastern and southern coastlines. Operation Disi Rela, which translates roughly as “keeping a watchful eye over the maritime environment,” continues a structured Canberra–Colombo maritime-security partnership now in its third operational iteration.
The ATVs and drones are intended to strengthen the Coast Guard’s coastal surveillance footprint and its ability to respond rapidly to threats, NewsFirst said, citing the official briefing. The Phase 3 cycle is built around deeper joint operations, improved intelligence-sharing and tighter coordination across law-enforcement agencies, with explicit focus on combating transnational maritime crime — including human trafficking, drug smuggling and illegal fishing.
The launch event was attended by Australian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Matthew Duckworth, Australian Defence Adviser Colonel Amanda Johnston and representatives from the Australian High Commission. Sri Lanka was represented by Deputy Director General of the Coast Guard, Commodore Prasad Jayasinghe, alongside senior officers from the Tri-Forces and key departmental heads.
The donation lands alongside a steady cadence of bilateral maritime equipment transfers to Sri Lanka’s coastal services. India delivered Coast Guard vessel spares earlier this month via INS Airavat’s Colombo call, while Canberra has been ramping its presence through the Disi Rela framework and broader trade-and-tourism engagement. With drone surveillance specifically called out, the Phase 3 cycle marks the first time Coast Guard has received dedicated long-range aerial assets at this scale from a partner nation.
