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 movements along the coast and to protect naval and civilian shipping from sea tiger suicide crafts.

Sri Lanka Navy
Components
History
Ships
Leadership and ranks

History

The flotilla was formed in the early 1980s with the Dvora-class fast patrol boats to counter LTTE gun running in the Palk Strait from India. With escalation of the Sri Lankan Civil War the Sea Tigers began to pose a threat to the patrol boats of the Navy, with use of small fibreglass boats armed with machine guns. The flotilla was used as the primary offensive unit to counter these boats. When the Sea Tigers started to use boats for suicide bomber attacks on ships the unit was used for defensive operations too, such as escorting larger naval ships and civilian ships in coastal waters off the norther and eastern provinces of the country. Able to reach speeds of 45 knots (83 km/h; 52 mph) these fast attack craft (FACs) operate in pairs to counter sea tiger wolf pack tactics and also to defend each other against small suicide craft that try ram them.

SLN fast attack craft

Armament

Early Dvoras were armed with two to three machine guns as most patrol boats in other navies do. However, during the progress of the war the armament on board FACs were increased considerably due to the increase of arms carried on sea tiger boats that ranges from heavy anti-aircraft machine guns to rocket launchers. All FACs have Typhoon 25-30 mm stabilized cannon installed as their primary armament, which can be slaved to state-of the art mast-mounted, day and night all weather long range electro-optic systems. This enables FACs to locate and target sea tiger boats at a greater distance, in all weather at high speeds. Newer FACs, specially Colombo-class series III FACs are equipped with Elop MSIS optronic director and Typhoon GFCS as its own weapons control system. Also these crafts use surface search Furuno FR 8250 or Corden Mk 2; I-band as its radar.[1][2] In addition to their main armament they carry additional weapon systems such as DS30 30 mm twin gun, Oerlikon 30 mm twin cannon, Oerlikon 20 mm cannons, automatic grenade launchers, Type 80 machine guns, W85 heavy machine gun and Type 63 multiple rocket launchers, including 12.7 mm and 7.62 mm machine guns.[1] These act as both offensive and point defense weapons to protect the FAC from suicide craft, by destroying them before they could ram or explode close to the FAC. Therefore, compared with similar patrol boats of other navies, Sri Lanka Navy FACs are more heavily armed and faster.

Organization

The flotilla is based at SLN Dockyard, Trincomalee, however boats operate out of all major harbors. Individual units come under the direct command of the flag officer commanding that particular naval area it is assigned to.

Boat classes
Super Dvora Mk III-class FAC of 4th Fast Attack Flotilla

Recipient of the Parama Weera Vibhushanaya

Notable members

References
  1. "Colombo Class (Fast Attack Craft-Gun) (PFC)". Jane's Information Group. www.denaljogja.mil.id. 2000-04-04. Retrieved 2007-11-06.
  2. "Shipbuilding". Colombo Dockyard Limited. Archived from the original on 2007-06-23. Retrieved 2007-11-06.
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