The Australian High Commission in Sri Lanka handed over a Kongsberg EM2042 shallow water multi-beam echo sounder to the Sri Lanka Navy Hydrographic Service (SLNHS) on 18 February.
"For an island nation seeking to expand its blue economy, a sovereign hydrographic capability is a critical enhancement that will allow Sri Lanka to map its ocean floor without the need of assistance from other countries," said the Australian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Paul Stephens.
The EM2042 has been installed onboard the SLNHS' hydrographic sloop P267 which is based at SLNS Rangalla in Colombo. It will be used to create precise hydrographic charts of Sri Lanka's waterways, harbours and coastal zones. The SLNHS has not previously operated a shallow water multi-beam echo sounder.
"Australia and Sri Lanka are Indian Ocean neighbours and we are both islands in the Indian Ocean. We share a strong commitment to an open, prosperous and resilient Indian Ocean region. As geostrategic competition continues to increase in the northeast Indian Ocean, just as in many other theatres, our two countries are looking for partners we can work with and partners we can trust, and Australia sees itself as a partner of trust and choice for Sri Lanka," High Commissioner Stephens said.
Australia previously handed over a former Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Super King Air 350 to the Sri Lanka Air Force in October 2024. Sri Lanka also operates two Bay class vessels, SLNS Rathnadeepa and SLNS Mihikatha, which were donated by Defence in 2014.