SLNS ''Parakramabahu'' (P351) was a

Type 037 corvette The Type 037 corvette is a series 400–500 ton corvette type classes in service with the People's Liberation Army Navy. Unlike western navies, the People's Liberation Army Navy does not have dedicated patrol boats in its inventory. Instead, a larg ...

class

submarine chaser A submarine chaser or subchaser is a small naval vessel that is specifically intended for anti-submarine warfare. Many of the American submarine chasers used in World War I found their way to Allied nations by way of Lend-Lease in World War II. ...

of the Sri Lanka Navy. The ship was named after King Parakramabahu I with warrior king of the ancient Sri Lankan

Kingdom of Polonnaruwa The Kingdom of Polonnaruwa ( si, පොළොන්නරුව රාජධානිය, Polonnaruwa Rājādhaniya) was the Sinhalese kingdom that expanded across the island of Sri Lanka and several overseas territories, from 1070 until 1232. ...

. Purchased from the

People's Liberation Army Navy The People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN; ), also known as the People's Navy, Chinese Navy, or PLA Navy, is the maritime service branch of the People's Liberation Army. The PLAN traces its lineage to naval units fighting during the Chinese ...

, she served as the

flagship A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically the fi ...

of the fleet from 1996 to 2000.World Navies Today: Sri Lanka, hazegray.org
/ref>

Operational history

Since joining the Sri Lankan fleet in 1996 with the objective of enhancing the blue water capability of the navy, she served as the flagship of the navy from 1996 to 2000, and was deployed for patrolling the coastal waters around Sri Lanka to counter gunrunning by the LTTE. Due to this she was attached to the 7th Surveillance Command Squadron. During the Sri Lankan Civil War, Parakramabahu was involved in anti arms smuggling patrols and maritime surveillance. During the war she was involved in several sea battles with the

LTTE The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE; ta, தமிழீழ விடுதலைப் புலிகள், translit=Tamiḻīḻa viṭutalaip pulikaḷ, si, දෙමළ ඊළාම් විමුක්ති කොටි, t ...

Sea Tigers, including the 1997 battle of the coast of Mullaitivu. However, its operations were greatly limited due to frequent breakdowns and the requirement of an escort of crafts from the

Fast Attack Flotilla The 4th Fast Attack Flotilla (aka ''Dvora Squadron'') is a force element flotilla of the Sri Lanka Navy. The flotilla's mission is to provide heavily armed and fast patrol boat (called fast attack craft or FACs) capability to counter sea tiger mov ...

, and found itself spending much time in port and in non operational areas. Since early 2000, it was based at SLNS Dakshina in Galle, without going to sea due to breakdowns and

SLNS Sayura SLNS ''Sayura'' (''Sayura'', in Sinhalese: Sea) is the former flagship and an offshore patrol vessel (OPV) of the Sri Lanka Navy. She was formerly, , a of the Indian Navy sold to Sri Lanka in 2000. She was upgraded with new armament in India be ...

took over as the flagship in late 2000. She capsized and sank at her moorings at SLNS Dakshina when she was hit by the

2004 Indian Ocean tsunami An earthquake and a tsunami, known as the Boxing Day Tsunami and, by the scientific community, the Sumatra–Andaman earthquake, occurred at 07:58:53 local time (UTC+7) on 26 December 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of northern Suma ...

. She was later re-floated by the Navy. She was damaged when the LTTE attacked SLNS Dakshina in 2006.Terror goes Down South
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References

External links

Sri Lanka Navy
{{DEFAULTSORT:Parakramabahu (P351) Corvettes of the Sri Lanka Navy 1996 ships