President Maithripala Sirisena has said purchasing new equipment to strengthen the Navy and the Air Force was blocked over the past four years.

Since his ascension to power in January 2015, President Sirisea has held the position as the Defence Ministry overlooking affairs related to the military. 

At the Cabinet meeting this morning, however, Sirisena said those who obstructed the progress of the Air Force and the Navy caused delays in procurement citing various reasons. 

A Cabinet member who attended the meeting this morning said it was unclear to them if the President was referring to Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. 

Following the concerns raised by the President, the Cabinet decided to assess a Cabinet sub-committee to assess the current situation of Sri Lankan defence forces and make recommendations on new purchases.