Sri Lanka’s Air Force Takes Wing

The proud guardian of the skies

The founding of the third and final arm of Sri Lanka’s armed forces came as a trifecta – with the country’s air force established in 1951, following the army (1949) and navy (1950); the most junior of the three services was established in keeping with the provisions of Act No. 41 of 1949.

At the beginning of its career, the Royal Ceylon Air Force (RCyAF), which was lent metaphorical wings on 2 March 1951, was a flightless bird – the fledgling service owned no aircraft! It had to restrict its military exercises to the ground, focussing on drill and physical training (PT) until the first batch of aircraft touched the ground.

In its early years, the air force engaged primarily in immigration patrols with occasional tactical assistance being provided in emergency relief operations. During the 1971 JVP insurgency, it played a major role in restoring internal order.
Perhaps due to its left leaning policies, the government of the day was readily able to procure from the USSR five Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17F fighter bombers, a MiG015 UTI midget trainer and two Kamov Ka-26 helicopters to combat the insurgents.

Previously (in 1959), fighter aircraft – five British BAC Jet Provosts – had been acquired for the first time, which comprised No. 5 Squadron. These had been supplemented in the 1960s with Bell helicopters from the US. By the ’80s, the Provosts and all Soviet aircraft had been retired from active service, and relegated to long-term storage, leaving the air force lacking especially in bomber power.

But it was after a full-scale war broke out with Tamil separatists in the north that the service grew. For example, the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF – it had been renamed as such in 1972 when the country became a republic) grew by 50 percent in terms of machines and manpower.
Its rapidly expanding inventory now included a Beechcraft King Air, an Avro HS748, 11 Bell 212 (nine were added later) and four Bell 412 helicopters (with an equal number to come), as well as 3 SIAI Marchetti SF.260 turboprops used for strafing and rocket attacks.
More effective bombing capacity was provided by a small fleet of Chinese-built Harbin Y12 turboprops.

In the war era, the SLAF also came to possess a formidable flying armoury that included six Israeli IAI Kfir C.2s (and later, C.7s), an equal number of MiG-27 ground attack craft to supplement four FMA IA 58 Pucarás and several F7 Skybolts (China’s Chengdu J-7, based on the Soviet MiG-21).

After the cessation of hostilities, the SLAF has continued to provide security for the country’s onetime sole international airport in Katunayake as it did in July 2001 when the precincts came under a predawn terrorist attack.
Today, relicts of this highflying service’s contribution to the defence of the realm – including aircraft, vehicles, weapons and uniforms – can be seen at the Sri Lanka Air Force Museum in Ratmalana.

These have also been showcased at every national independence day parade since 2009 when what’s left of the air wing of our armed forces provides a spectacularly thrilling flyover.

Relicts of this highflying service’s contribution to the defence of the realm – including aircraft, vehicles, weapons and uniforms – can be seen at the Sri Lanka Air Force Museum in Ratmalana