May 16, Colombo (LNW): Sri Lanka is in the process of establishing a small arms ammunition manufacturing unit within the country, Defence State Minister Premitha Bandara Tennakoon announced.
The announcement was made yesterday (16), addressing reporters at the President’s Media Centre (PMC), where the Minister revealed that discussions are ongoing with India to set up a small arms manufacturing unit.
The Indian defence manufacturing sector has seen significant growth over the last two decades, Tennakoon explained, adding that it is a model Sri Lanka can learn from, and there is nothing wrong with adopting their practices.
He expressed confidence that it is time for Sri Lanka to enter the manufacturing sector as well.
When queried about whether Sri Lanka intends to purchase military equipment from India, the Minister clarified that the government is not trying to procure anything at the moment.
The connectivity between the two nations’ military forces is excellent, and Indian and Sri Lankan military-to-military relations are very strong, and Sri Lanka, therefore, aim to maintain the ties, he explained.
However, this does not imply that Sri Lanka is planning on purchasing military equipment from anyone, Tennakoon concluded.
