A U.S. Navy guided missile frigate, USS Sides, will arrive in Colombo tomorrow for a four-day visit marking the second U.S. Naval visit in just over two weeks, the U.S. embassy in Colombo said yesterday.

The USS Sides is based in San Diego, California, and has a crew of approximately 180, the embassy said.

The Commanding officer of USS Sides, Commander Octavio Manduley was quoted in a statement by the embassy as saying, "This port (Colombo) is a great opportunity for our sailors to learn about Colombo and Sri Lanka, to meet the local citizens, and have some time for rest and recreation."

But, with the current peace process in Sri Lanka and the U.S. support for the government, the visit is being seen more as a display of the U.S. presence than a routine visit.