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India and Sri Lanka signed three defence Memoranda of Understanding in Colombo on 9 September 2026, during Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's meeting with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.
The MoUs cover an India-funded upgrade of six 40 mm L70 air defence guns of the Sri Lanka Air Force, National Cadet Corps youth exchanges, and academic cooperation between the two National Defence Colleges.
It was the first visit by an Indian Defence Minister to Sri Lanka in 38 years; the visit ran from 8 to 10 September 2026.
Three Bailey Bridges built by Indian defence forces in Sri Lanka were inaugurated virtually, and India proposed an integrated real-time maritime surveillance grid.
INS Udaygiri, an indigenously built stealth frigate, was at Colombo Port from 8 September for a three-day operational turnaround and hosted a deck reception for the Defence Minister.
India's tri-service youth organisation giving basic military training to school and college students; functions under the Ministry of Defence. One MoU formalises cadet-level exchange with its Sri Lankan counterpart
India's apex institution for national security and strategy courses for senior officers and civil servants; the second MoU covers academic exchange with Sri Lanka's NDC
Operator of the six 40 mm L70 air defence guns being modernised under Indian grant funding
A portable, prefabricated truss bridge assembled from standard steel panels that can be carried by truck and erected by hand without heavy plant. Armies and disaster-relief agencies use it to restore a crossing within days.
Simple Analogy: A bridge that arrives flat-packed and bolts together on site.
Colombo, Sri Lanka's commercial capital and principal seaport, is a major Indian Ocean transhipment hub. It faces the Arabian Sea side of the island, while the Palk Strait and Gulf of Mannar separate Sri Lanka's north from Tamil Nadu.
GS Paper 2 > India and its neighbourhood - bilateral relations, agreements affecting India's interests
General Awareness > Defence cooperation, Indian Navy ships and equipment
General Awareness > Current events, agreements and MoUs
With reference to Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation (IOR-ARC)', consider the following statements: 1. It was established very recently in response to incidents of piracy and accidents of oil spills. 2. It is an alliance meant for maritime security only. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: Neither 1 nor 2
A 40 mm towed anti-aircraft gun used for short-range air defence; six such guns of the Sri Lanka Air Force are to be upgraded with Indian grant funding.
A prefabricated modular steel truss bridge erected rapidly in military and disaster-relief settings.
A warship's port call for replenishment, maintenance and crew rest during a deployment.
Use of military cooperation - training, exercises, equipment grants and exchanges - as an instrument of foreign policy.