Colombo: India and Sri Lanka today (Dec 16, 2004) conducted their first ever, joint naval exercise off the island nation's Western coast, focussing on search and rescue as well as anti-piracy.

Director General of Indian Coast Guard Vice Admiral A K Sing was in Sri Lanka to formulate procedures in connection with the exercise code-named "Operation Ek Sath", a Navy spokesman said.

He said two Indian vessels, CSG Sarang and CSG Durgabhai Deshmukh, a helicopter and a fixed wing aircraft took part in the exercise together with about 200 personnel.

From the Sri Lankan sides, there were three Navy ships and two Dvroa fast attack craft carrying a total of 450 sailors.

"The exercise focussed on marine pollution, search and rescue and anti piracy," a Sri Lankan spokesman said.

The authorities wanted to carry out the exercise in a low key manner with no local media allowed, but in a last minute decision a group of local journalists were taken in a ship to the area where the exercise was underway.