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‘Cormorant Strike 2018′ stages “Hostage Rescue Operation” at Nelum Pokuna Theatre
A ‘Hostage Rescue Operation’ (HRO) was conducted on Thursday (20) at Nelum Pokuna Theatre, as a part of the ongoing “Cormorant Strike 2018″ Military exercise.
A Commando takes aim with his Type-97B bullpup rifle
The mock HRO saw more than 150 Army Commandos from the 4th Commando Regiment and 4 Nepali soldiers work together to rescue 30 “hostages” held by a group of “terrorists”. ‘Cormorant Strike’ is an annual Military exercise that started on September 6 and ends next week.
Thursday’s exercise was witnessed by State Minister for Defence Ruwan Wijewardene, Chief of Defence Staff Rear Admiral Ravindra Wijegunaratne and Army Commander Lt.Gen. Mahesh Senanayake, senior Military officers, foreign military observers and Ministry officials.
The HRO had Commandos deploy to the site in specialized armoured vehicles and rappel down to the roof of the theatre from an Air Force Bell 412 helicopter. A mobile ‘Command & Control Center’ and prior deployment of snipers and surveillance cameras aided the rescue teams to increase their situational awareness as the operation unfolded. Explosives, sniffer dogs and attack dogs were also in the rescue party.
“With ‘Cormorant Strike 2018′, Sri Lanka has done a good job bringing various Special Operational Forces (SOF) onto one platform, where they could share skills, tactics and experience,” said Col. Amir Islam of the Pakistani Army Special Forces. He was part of a 9-man contingent from that country, some of whom were ‘players’ in an ‘Amphibious Insertion Operation’ among other missions.
“While HROs have been conducted at other venues such as the Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport (MRIA), in the past, Nelum Pokuna was selected to reflect the current and future security threat environment,” said the Army Chief. Previously, Commandos focused on anti-hijacking scenarios during the exercise, which took place at MRIA. “The Commandos are specialists in HROs, and this exercise was designed to test their skills. The Sri Lanka Army is enhancing its capabilities in this area,” said Lt.Gen. Senanayake. Pointing to the participation of foreign military personnel, the Commander noted that no country today had a single solution to terrorist and subversive threats. “They must cooperate and learn from each other’s experience in countering such threats.”
Commando's rappel down to the roof of Nelum Pokuna Theater from a Air Force Bell-412 helicopter
“The HRO enabled the Armed Forces and police to test the interoperability and response capacity under stressful conditions,” said Exercise Director Maj.Gen. Niyshshanka Ranawana. It contributed towards testing and evaluating tactics and equipment, thereby enabling the military to identify critical technologies, equipment and weapons systems for future development and acquisition.
“The Army was moving toward a Joint Special Operations Capability in line with future threat assessments and are actively seeking to advance interoperability within Sri Lanka, Regional and International Armed Forces,” he explained. The Army is also looking at strengthening its Junior Non-Commissioned Officer cadre.
The final mission of ‘Cormorant Strike 2018′ will be held on Wednesday at Kuchchaveli.
A rescue team rehearses the assault phases using a floor plan of the venue. Pix by Amila Gamage
Army Commander Lieutenant General Mahesh Senanayake, explains the functions of the Hostage Rescue Operations' Room to the invited guests including the State Minister of Defense Ruwan Wijewardene, Chief of Defense Staff Rear Admiral Ravindra Wijegunaratne.
