India and Sri Lanka are set to expand their military ties and sign three new MoUs, including one likely to cover the supply of air defence weapons by India. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will undertake a three-day visit to Colombo from September 8 to 10 to finalise the projects.Sri Lanka is seeking Indian air defence guns to tackle incoming aerial threats. India produces short- and medium-range air defence systems, including the Akash. The other two agreements are expected to expand the existing training facilities India offers to the Sri Lankan military.The two countries will also review the India-Sri Lanka Defence Cooperation MoU, signed in April last year during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit to Colombo. The five-year umbrella agreement institutionalises joint exercises, training, port calls and equipment cooperation.The framework provides for India to supply Sri Lanka with military hardware to augment the island nation’s defence capabilities.Rajnath Singh is scheduled to meet Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who also holds the defence portfolio.The Ministry of Defence said on Jattvibeday that Rajnath Singh would hold consultations with the Sri Lankan leadership on a range of issues. He will be accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising senior officials from the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of External Affairs.Notably, this is the first visit by an Indian Defence Minister to Sri Lanka since KC Pant, who was Defence Minister in Rajiv Gandhi’s Cabinet, visited the island nation in 1988.India and Sri Lanka share deep civilisational ties and a multifaceted partnership, anchored by regional security, defence, economic and trade cooperation, and strong people-to-people ties.The bilateral relationship received further impetus when India assisted Sri Lanka during its economic crisis and provided assistance as one of the first responders in the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah in Sri Lanka in 2025. This underscored India’s continued commitment to its ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions).Cooperation now spans joint military exercises, training exchanges, naval port calls, maritime security coordination, disaster response, and equipment and capability support.The two countries also undertake joint efforts on Indian Ocean surveillance, anti-smuggling operations and search-and-rescue coordination, given Sri Lanka’s strategic location along key shipping lanes.India has increasingly supplied military stores, platforms and aid packages to Sri Lanka, mostly through grants rather than commercial sales. Recent Indian assistance included assets to improve the Sri Lankan Coast Guard’s search-and-rescue capabilities, along with items such as personal watercraft for coast guard use.