Sri Lankan Prez gets on board India's largest aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya

COLOMBO: Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena on Saturday got on board INS Vikramaditya, India's largest warship and aircraft carrier, in the port of Colombo.

Sirisena, who became the first head of state to get on board the ship, spoke to the crew and exchanged greetings with them, officials said.

INS Vikramaditya's maiden overseas port call after its arrival in India two years ago is a manifestation of the close maritime cooperation and mutual trust between India and Sri Lanka.

44,500-tonne INS Vikramaditya is the largest and newest of the two aircraft carriers operated by the Indian Navy, and is equipped with a variety of integral weapons and sensors.

It operates a versatile range of high-performance aircraft, such as the MiG 29K fighter aircraft, KM 31 Airborne Early Warning helicopters, multi-role Sea King helicopters and utility Chetak helicopters.