The certificate awarding ceremony of first ever Inshore Patrol Craft Handling Foundation Course (Lady Officers and Women Sailors) 01/2022 came into culmination with a high note on 16th December 2022 at Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda Auditorium. The ceremony was graced by the Director General Operations, Rear Admiral Pradeep Rathnayake and Director General Training Rear Admiral Mahinda Mahawatte. The course participants demonstrated their practical application of IPC handling before Commander of the Navy and Senior Officers at the Naval Dockyard Trincomalee on 15th December 2022.
The prime motive of the initiative was to give an opportunity to Navy women who are willing to serve on ships and craft, which have been a duty solely operated by men so far. Accordingly, the Navy hopes to deploy all-women Inshore Patrol Craft handling crews for IPC duties at harbours in the future. The first batch consisted of four (04) lady officers and nine (09) woman sailors & their names will be written in the history of the Sri Lanka Navy as the first ever team of Navy women to be qualified to handle Inshore patrol craft.
These lady officers and woman sailors will be joining the fleet tomorrow with the knowledge of Navigation, Seamanship, Engineering, electrical, Combat Medicine, Fire fighting and communication. They will ride the waves with pride in future Navy.
