Spotted the military looking boat in the image below off the Narga Kovil coast of the Jaffna peninsula. I was Google Earthing (its a verb now) images for the Narga Kovil forward defence lines area post when I came across it. Since Google Earth images of the area fate back to 2003-2005 era this type of craft might not be the latest thing any more.
I am no expert at spotting military boats but this craft doesn’t look like one of those brightly colour fishing vessels used in Sri Lanka. It also seems to be going quite fast.
My utterly amateur (an most likely highly incorrect) guess is that it looks something like a Simonneau class patrol boat. or maybe the SeaTiger equivalent. Most likely I am mistaken. Perhaps its a fishing boat. From the scale marker at this boat’s location on wikimapia, its clearly less than 50m long.
What ever the case its a perfect reason for a better informed person to correct me (you know where to find the comment box).
3 sites with background info relating to the Sri Lanka Navy and the Sea Tigers
- The unofficial Sri Lanka Navy blog which has some handy images and further links (though its hard to navigate to older posts)
- Nationmaster.com page with info and images about Sri Lanka Navy ships
- Jane’s Defence website has a Non-Subscriber accessible extract of an article on the Sea Tigers’ boats/operating tactics.
If you got any more please feel free to post the links. Comments with URLs can sometimes get stuck in the spam filter but I’ll rescue it 🙂
Cerno 
hi,
looks more like a SLN boat.normally they are in ash/gray colour, against the LTTE boats that are in cameo pattern to prevent ID from the sky.
boat in the pix looks more like either a Super Dovra or a Shaldag class FAC .but then I’m guessing by the shape and also engine wake.
interesting post.
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tinker Thank you 🙂 Interestingly there are quite a few Navy boats visible on Google Earth but no LTTE ones. I guess they hide them quite well (or they weren’t out on the day the Sat images were taken)….
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A big AIYOOO!! Don’t you all know that there is a word called “masquerading” . LTTE can easily spray there once to look like SLN. WE have seen enuf action of LTTE foot dudes dressing up like SLA people and launching attacks.! Successfully!Vice versa can also be true but don’t know whether our guys use these techniques… Even the recent A’pura Airport attack was done under disguise!.. So CERNO u may have spotted a LTTE speed boat.
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I am not preoccupying on the boat;but on the “google earth” software; that is to say, really it is an efficient, elegant and usefull software, and at the same time it gives us an image of a “Big Brother” who spy on us(which really also the aim of google on this software and on alla other its products); the danger contains on the human nature to think and plan good and to act according to the irrationality. Google should think about this.
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janantha Good point 🙂
ajithrohanjtf As far as “Big Brother” stuff, Google Earth is nothing. Spy satellite technology in the hands of governments and specialised companies can provide way better real time imagery. At a price of course. Heard somewhere (wish I remembered the site) that the CIA and such agencies farm out their sat. imaging to private companies. I suppose the LTTE does too. At least Google Earth gives a taste of it to us pawns 😉
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You are captured on camera over 200 times a day in London.
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Yes, the technology is very advanced, saw the roof of his house through the Google Earth.
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C mate, I have a collection of SLN navy craft pics….mate that sure looks like a Shaldag cuz, Simoneau’s are too small and Ltte boats dont go out there alone and the color is not seatiger.
Hmmmmm ?
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rajarata: May thank yous for that update 🙂 If out got a pic of a Shaldag boat could you add a link to a comment? Should be interesting.
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Ya mate check my flickr pic with Prez. Rajapakse on board Ok ?
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Rajarata: Thanks will do 🙂
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Cernomate,
Is it true Voctor Bout was nabbed in Bankok ! This creep iz THEEE Merchant of Death !
Also, did KP get sprung from jail in Bangkok by corrupt Thai Militaty Officers True ?
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Rajarata You are way more informed on these matters that I am 🙂 Never heard of “Voctor Bout”
Saw something in the papers a while back about a LTTE arms buyer called KP getting nabbed and then escaping in Thailand. But I never followed it up 😐
David Blacker or Defencenetthough might be more informative 🙂
Feel free to post anything interesting you dig up – specially if it can be marked on google earth 😉
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Hi
Both Sri Lanka navy and Sri Lanka Airforce were created to fill the vaccuum created by the non-existance of such visual info on one site to provide an understanding of Sri lanka’s true strengths to its citizens overseas. As you already know, neither of the govet websites provided those information at the time.
Since starting the two blogs, countless others have followed suit, and today provide a valuable source for the target audience.
I also repeatedly requested the government webmaters to provide more graphical evidence to the public and like to think the changes and availability of such information since then to have resulted from those efforts. In a final analysis it doesn’t matter who initiated it, as long as the job gets done. Similarly, I’ve consistently pursued the really nice blog, DefenceNet, to also publish photographic and video evidence of their reports, which they’ve started doing. I do hope these actions provide motivation and a rallying point for all Sri Lankans abroad.
Similarly and without a doubt, the services rendered by your blog towards the same ends, is much appreciated as well.
TropicaStorm
Editor of both blogs
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TropicalStorm: Very much appreciate the link backs 🙂 Thank you. I think your site does a great job of what you set out to do. Its certainly a good addition to DefenceNet.
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Not gunfire but, engine exhaust at idle…this iz a SL Navy Colombo Class FAC. Why note the bow gunmount plus size ! Also note bow facing the wave crest ! which means they are littoral patrol.
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it looks like a ltte suicide craft
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Looks are deceiving 🙂 As mentioned in the other comments its a SLN boat
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