USS Canberra departs Colombo after scheduled port visit

18 June 2026

From Chief Mass Communication Specialist Mike Wright, Command Destroyer Squadron 7

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka -- Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Canberra (LCS 30) departed Colombo, June 14, 2026, after a scheduled port visit to strengthen relations with the Sri Lanka Navy.

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Sri Lanka Navy Rear Adm. Jagath Kumara, commander, Western Naval Area, salutes the watch as he arrives aboard Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Canberra (LCS 30). Canberra is conducting routine operations in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations. (U.S. Navy photo by Operations Specialist 1st Class Anthony Wade).

The visit underscores the U.S. Navy’s continuous presence and commitment to alliances and partnerships that protect maritime security and prosperity across the Indo-Pacific.

"It's been an honor for the Canberra crew to conduct this port visit in Colombo," said U.S. Navy Cmdr. James McLaughlin, commanding officer of Canberra. "This visit exemplifies our 80 years of partnership with Sri Lanka, and we are grateful for their continued friendship and support in keeping the Indo-Pacific stable and secure."

From left, Cmdr. James McLaughlin, commanding officer of Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Canberra (LCS 30), Cmdr. Ryan Griffith, executive officer of Canberra, and Sri Lanka Navy Rear Adm. Jagath Kumara, commander, Western Naval Area, pose for a photo on the ship’s bridge. Canberra is conducting routine operations in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations. (U.S. Navy photo by Operations Specialist 1st Class Anthony Wade).

Sri Lanka Navy Rear Adm. Jagath Kumara, commander, Western Naval Area, salutes the watch aboard Independence-class littoral combat ship USS Canberra, June 14, 2026. Canberra is conducting routine operations in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations. (U.S. Navy photo by Operations Specialist 1st Class Anthony Wade).

During the scheduled port visit, Sri Lanka Navy Rear Adm. Jagath Kumara, commander of Western Area Command, hosted Mclaughlin for an office call. McLaughlin was accompanied by U.S. Army Lt. Col. Matthew House, the senior defense official and defense attaché at the U.S. Embassy in Sri Lanka. The visit focused on enhancing the U.S. and Sri Lanka Navy partnership and marks the fourth littoral combat ship to visit Colombo.

“Even for a brief port visit, we look forward to every opportunity to build stronger people-to-people connections,” said McLaughlin.

Canberra is a fast, optimally manned, mission-tailored surface combatant capable of operating in near-shore and open-ocean environments. It can integrate with joint, combined, crewed, and unmanned systems to support forward presence, maritime security, sea control, and deterrence missions around the globe.

As the U.S. Navy’s forward-deployed destroyer squadron (DESRON) in Southeast Asia, DESRON 7 serves as the primary tactical and operational commander of assigned ships deployed to the Southeast Asia area of operations.

U.S. 7th Fleet, the Navy's largest forward-deployed numbered fleet, routinely interacts and operates with allies and partners in preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific region.