50th anniversary of Sri Lanka Navy DVORA Mk III

[aukepalmhof]

Navy Day in Sri Lanka is celebrated annually on December 9. The holiday commemorates the creation of the Royal Ceylon Navy in 1950.

The history of the Sri Lanka Navy began during the period of British colonial rule. The Ceylon Naval Volunteer Force was created in 1937. It was mobilized for war duties two years later, following the outbreak of the Second World War.

In 1948, the Dominion of Ceylon achieved independence from the United Kingdom. The government of Ceylon believed that an island nation should have a strong navy to defend its borders. Therefore on December 9, 1950, the Royal Ceylon Navy came into existence. In 1972, when Ceylon became a republic and was renamed Sri Lanka Navy.

The Sri Lanka Navy is considered to be the country's most vital defense force. Its motto is “The golden fence around the country”. It has about 48,000 active personnel (with approximately 15,000 personnel deployed for shore duties).

The stamp shown above was issued in the year 2010 to commemorate the 60th Anniversary of Sri Lanka Navy. The stamp shows a Navy Vessel amidst a turbulent ocean. The stamp comes with 5 Sri Lankan rupees with the name of the country at the top left inscribed in Sinhalese, Tamil and Roman and the denomination value at the top right.

The pennant number of the watercraft depicted on the stamp is not visible but I think it is one of the Fast Attack Craft of the Sri Lanka Navy.

In 2010, the "Super Dvora I class" in relation to Sri Lanka refers to a fleet of high-speed patrol boats, specifically the Super Dvora Mk III variant, which were acquired by the Sri Lankan Navy from Israel to combat the Tamil Tigers (LTTE) sea operations during the Sri Lankan Civil War; these boats were known for their speed, maneuverability, and ability to operate in shallow waters, allowing them to effectively counter the LTTE's sea-based smuggling and attacks. 
Key points about the Super Dvora I class in Sri Lanka in 2010:
• Manufacturer: Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) 
• Model: Super Dvora Mk III 
• Purpose: Primarily used for coastal patrol, interdicting smuggling, and combating the LTTE's naval forces 
• Features: High speed, advanced weaponry options including machine guns, grenade launchers, and potentially small missiles 
• Significance: Played a key role in the Sri Lankan Navy's efforts to control the sea during the latter stages of the civil war 
https://www.mintageworld.com/media/deta ... sri-lanka/ and Internet.

Details of the Super Dvora Mark III class:
Builder IAI-RAMTA in Israel.
Tonnage 72 tons displacement. Dim. 27.4m x 5.67m x 1.1m (draught)
Propulsion: 2 x Detroit diesels MTU 12V-4000 M90, 4,175 hp., 2 Ameson Surface Drive-16 articulating propulsion system.
Speed 45 knots.
Range 700 mile by 14 knots,
Crew 9 -12.
Armament:
4 x ACM-114 Hellfire (surface to surface-) missiles, SPIKE NLOS missiles.
1 Typhoon 20-39 mm stabilized cannon.
1 Oerlikon 20 mm cannon.
2 x 12.7 machine guns.
Automatic grenade launchers.

Source Wikipedia.
Sri Lanka 2010 5.00R sg2068, Scott 1775.