Figure 1. Regional Cooperative mechanisms in place for Indian Ocean Today’s global geo-strategic environment is based on maritime activity; and matters maritime are embedded from economies to governance. Thus, as islanders it is indeed important for the population to understand the need of navy in today’s global context. The above figure 1. illustrates some of the regional cooperative mechanisms of global scale available in the Indian Ocean region and it is pertinent to note that the Sri Lanka Navy (SL Navy) is directly or indirectly involved as a partner in these maritime cooperative mechanisms. In today’s geo-strategic posture and in diplomacy , the Navy is continuing to be an integral and valuable component. Naval prowess is in fact a deciding criterion of diplomacy, and Gunboat Diplomacy is a terminology that originated through this necessity. During the cold-war era it was the naval might that flexed muscle to carry forward national interest beyond maritime juris