Defence Asia

U.S. Navy littoral combat ship USS Charleston (LCS-18) arriving at Trincomalee for Ex CARAT-21. Pic by - SLN. By Asiri Fernando 24 June 2021, Colombo. - Updated 1300hrs. The bilateral maritime training exercise, Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT), held between the U.S Navy and Sri Lankan armed forces kicks off today (24 June) in the strategic deep-water port of Trincomalee and off the Island's eastern seaboard.   The U.S. - Lankan exercise comes as the nuclear powered USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) led US Navy (USN) Carrier Strike Group wraps up a two-day training exercise with the Indian Navy and Air Force aimed at improving interoperability between the countries in the Indian Ocean.  The 6-day CARAT-21 exercise, held for the fourth time will see two Sri Lankan Navy (SLN) vessels and several Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) aircraft engage with the US Navy's warship - USS Charleston (LCS-18), its embarked helicopter (a MH-60S from the Sea Combat Squadron HSC21) a...

  The Navy with assistance from the Coast Guard and Police intercepted 219.8 Kg of Heroin being smuggled in from the Polwathumodara coast, in Weligama on Sunday (13 June) morning. Eleven suspects have been held by the Police with PNB conducting further investigations. Pic by SLN By Asiri Fernando The Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) and law enforcement authorities plan to expand surveillance along the southern coast as 219.8 Kg of Heroin was intercepted off Weligama, in the South of Sri Lanka on Sunday (13 June) morning.   According to Police Spokesman DIG Ajith Rohana, the Police were seeking a seven-day detention order to hold 11 suspects involved in the narcotics trafficking incident under the Poisons, Opium and Dangerous Drugs Act. One of the Heroin packets found concealed in a 14.5Kg LPG Cylinder - Pic SLN "There have been several attempts to smuggle narcotics in from the Weligama coast, therefore we believe Weligama to be a key entry and distribution point for narcotics. The Po...

  Police STF and Air Force RSF personnel prepare to rappelling down from a MI-17 helicopter to intercept illegal sand miners. (Pics via SLAF)  By Asiri Fernando An intelligence-led operation by the Police Special Task Force (STF) and Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) on Tuesday (18 May) resulted in the arrest of 56 suspects following a land-air interception of several illegal sand mining sites near Sittar Bridge in Mutur.  The heliborne interception also netted many vehicles, boats and equipment used for illegal sand mining in the Mutur. According to the SLAF, a force of STF Commandos and members of the Air Force Regiment Special Force (RSF) raided the locations, arriving by Mi-17 helicopters, which had taken the illegal sand miners by surprise and cut off their escape routes.  The joint operation was launched based on information obtained by intelligence operatives and following the sites being surveilled by Beach King B-200 aircraft from the SLAF's No 03 Maritime Squadron...

  Members of the STF's Special Waterborne Operation Squadron display their capabilities at Bolgoda Lake. (Pictures - Police Department)  By Asiri Fernando The Police Special Task Force (STF) had formed a new unit aimed at interdicting crime that occurs on and near rivers and water bodies. The Special Waterborne Operation Squadron is made up of sixteen STF officers who have undergone specialist training from members of the  United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC) and the Sri Lanka Powerboat Association.  According to Police Spokesman, DIG Ajith Rohana the team will be tasked with combating crime near and on waterbodies around the Island including; sand mining, deforestation, illegal gem mining, smuggling and illicit liquor production among others.  The specialist unit will also be called on by the police to assist them when acting on crimes being committed near water bodies, DIG Rohana added.  Over the last few years, the STF has been called o...

  The "Zulu's", No.08 light transport squadron of the Sri Lanka Air Force celebrates its 25th anniversary last week. Pictures by SLAF. By Asiri Fernando The No.08 light transport squadron of the Sri Lanka Air Force, known by their call sign 'Zulu' celebrates 25 years of service last week.  The squadron was established on 2 April 1996 with Y-12 transport and Beechcraft B200 surveillance aircraft. However, the origins of the squadron lay in No. 201 Squadron, an offspring of the No.02 Squadron and actively engaged in a range of combat support operations since 1987.  The squadron played a crucial role during the 30 year-long internal conflict. The 08's Y-12 aircraft were workhorses delivering supplies, transporting troops and evacuating casualties to medical facilities.  SLAF Y-12 aircraft "The 15-seater Y-12 aircraft was utilized for many multitudes of air operations during the local theatre of war with a small crew working relentlessly during day and night....

  Defence Advisors of the Maldivian and Indian High Commissions, meet with Secretary of Defence, General (Retd) Kamal Gunaratne, Foreign Secretary Admiral (Retd) Jayanath Colombage, Commander of the Navy, Vice Admiral Nishantha Ulugetenne and Senior Navy officers at the launch of the new secretariat. (Pic - SLN) Trilateral Secretariat on Maritime Security Cooperation established at Sri Lanka Navy HQ  By Asiri Fernando  A secretariat for trilateral national security advisors (NSA) was launched at the Navy Headquarters yesterday (01 March) to act as a platform to improve Maritime Security Cooperation between the Maldives, India and Sri Lanka.  The need to establish a secretariat for the task was agreed upon during the fourth NSA level meeting between the three countries, hosted by Sri Lanka in November last year. According to the Navy, Director Naval Operations Rear Admiral Prasanna Mahawithana has been appointed as the coordinating officer of the new secretariat....

  Air Force appoints a board of inquiry to look into the air crash that killed one  A PT-6 training aircraft from the No.1 Flight Training Wing, stationed at China Bay AFB, Trincomalee. Image - SLAF By Asiri Fernando The Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) yesterday appointed a five-member board of inquiry to investigate the crash of a training aircraft which resulted in the death of a cadet pilot, Air Force Commander Air Marshal Sudarshana Pathiran said.  The board made up of aeronautical, technical and medical experts are expected to submit an interim report within a week. The SLAF has temporarily grounded all PT-6 aircraft in the fleet until the interim report is prepared, Air Marshal Pathirana said.  According to the SLAF, the PT-6 trainer aircraft (SLAF registration - SBT-197) from the No. 1 Flying Training Wing at China Bay crashed near the Janaranjana Tank in Sooriyapura, Kantale. It was flown by Officer Cadet Shalitha Amarakoon who was on a solo mission, departing Chi...

Maldivian National Defence Forces and US Marines during Exercise Coconut Grove 2012. Pic by - Cpl. Isis M. Ramirez (USMC)       By Asiri Fernando The United States and Maldives earlier this month (10 September) signed an agreement to deepen engagement and cooperation on defence and security. The agreement came one day after two US allies, India and Japan signed an Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA). Both agreements also came in the backdrop of US Secretary of Defence Dr. Mark T. Esper speaking to the President of Sri Lanka and the Prime Minister of Bangladesh on security, defence and COVID-19 related matters. The renewed emphasis on defence cooperation and improving security relationships in the region comes as Quadrilateral Security Dialog - "The Quad", composed of the US, Japan, India and Australia are deepening their security cooperation, according to the US think tank RAND. The US - Maldivian agreement termed "Framework for U.S. Department of Defe...

                               An SLAF Bell-206 Jet Ranger in service with No.7 Squadron. Credit www.airforce.lk By Asiri Fernando The Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) will call for international bids to buy four used helicopters to replenish its aging training fleet in  the near future.  The acquisition is to be made via competitive international bidding following government approval earlier this month.  Speaking to the press earlier this month (8 July), Co-Cabinet spokesman Romesh Pathirana said that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on behalf of the Ministry of Defense had sought Cabinet approval to make the purchase. Pathirana pointed out that the SLAF needed to train pilots for UN peacekeeping missions. According to Pathirana, the SLAF currently uses two helicopters manufactured in 1981 to train Pilots. The Jet Rangers first entered service in 1969, the Air Force website said. Several un-serviceable...

The Unibuffel MK6 by SLEME    By Asiri Fernando 01/07/2020 Colombo The Sri Lanka Army last week (26 June), handed over nine locally manufactured Mine Protected Vehicles (MPV's) and a Recovery Vehicle to be shipped to Mali, Africa. The vehicles will equip a company of Sri Lankan Peacekeepers who escort United Nations aid convoys in the war-torn nation.  The vehicles, the latest version in the long line of combat proven "Unibuffel" family, have been fabricated by the Army's Electrical and Mechanical Engineer's Regiment (SLEME) in line with United Nation's requirements for they type of protected vehicle.  The new Unibuffel MK6 variant, offers better mobility, mine and ballistic protection and crew comforts than previous models a senior SLEME officer told Defence Asia. The vehicles are also equipped with a blast sock absorbing seating system which was developed by the army R&D wing. Combined with the vehicles design features, the seats offer the peacekeepers m...