Sri Lanka Air Force
The Sri Lanka Air Force, founded as the Royal Ceylon Air Force on 2 March 1951, went to war for the first time against the JVP uprising of 1971, spent 26 years bombing and supplying the war against the Tamil Tigers, whose own small air wing bombed its bases in 2007–09, and in 2026, after an economic crisis that grounded much of its fleet, is flying five rebuilt Kfirs and ten donated American helicopters while cutting its strength towards 20,000.
The Sri Lanka Air Force story: born without aircraft, 26 years of civil war and a smaller air force after bankruptcy
1951–1970: an air force born without aircraft
The Royal Ceylon Air Force was born on 2 March 1951, three years after independence, with RAF officers and airmen seconded to build it. The air force’s own history admits it began with drill and physical training rather than flying: its first trainer, the de Havilland Canada Chipmunk, was ordered in 1950. Balliols and Oxfords followed for advanced training, and Doves and Herons for transport; by 1955 two flying squadrons flew from RAF Negombo, the field now called Katunayake. When Britain gave up its Ceylon bases in 1956 the RCyAF took over Katunayake and China Bay, and Air HQ Ceylon was disbanded on 1 November 1957. Vampire jets arrived in 1959 and were soon replaced by Hunting Jet Provosts, the first equipment of a Jet Squadron. The first Ceylonese commander, Air Commodore Rohan Amerasekera, took over from the RAF in November 1962. By 1970 the jets were in storage: Ceylon saw no external enemy worth the money.
1971–1982: the JVP uprising and the Soviet interlude
That judgement lasted until 5 April 1971, when the Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) attacked police stations across the island. Hardly three months into his command, Air Commodore Paddy Mendis was summoned to Temple Trees by Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike. The mothballed Jet Provosts were made airworthy and armed within three days, and JetRanger helicopters flew supplies to besieged police stations. Help came from every side of the Cold War: helicopters and spares from Britain and the United States, six Indian Chetaks, and on 22 April Soviet An-22s delivering five MiG-17Fs, a MiG-15UTI and two Ka-26 helicopters. The official death toll of the insurrection was about 1,200, including four airmen; unofficial estimates run to 4,000–5,000. In 1972 Ceylon became a republic and the service became the Sri Lanka Air Force. By the early 1980s the Provosts and every Soviet aircraft had been retired again.
1983–1995: a civil war air force, built in a hurry
The war against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) changed everything. Between 1983 and 1987 the air force grew by nearly half, to about 3,700 people, buying Bell 212 and 412 helicopters, SF.260s, Cessna 337s and King Airs; from 1987 Chinese Y-12s and Y-8 transports, the Y-8s also used as bombers. On 4 June 1987 Indian An-32s escorted by Mirage 2000s dropped supplies over Jaffna in Operation Poomalai; Sri Lanka protested at the violation of its sovereignty but its air force did not intervene. In 1991 came the first fast jets since the MiG-17s, Chinese F-7s and J-5s, then Mi-17s and Argentine Pucarás in 1993 and Mi-24 gunships in 1995. The LTTE answered with shoulder-launched missiles: two Avro transports were shot down over the Jaffna peninsula in April 1995, and Pucarás were lost too. On 9 July 1995 bombs hit a church full of refugees at Navaly; Human Rights Watch reported over one hundred dead, and eyewitnesses blamed air force strikes.
1996–2002: Kfirs, MiG-27s and the night at Katunayake
In 1996 Israel delivered the first Kfirs, forming No. 10 Squadron; in 2000 Ukraine supplied MiG-27s, first flown by Ukrainian pilots. These two types did most of the air force’s bombing for the rest of the war. In 1997, during Operation Jayasikuru, the air force logged 21,895 flying hours — over 20,000 operational for the first time — and by its own account lost nine manned aircraft doing it. The worst single blow came before dawn on 24 July 2001, when Black Tiger commandos got into Katunayake, the main air base beside the international airport. Tallies differ: TamilNet counted 13 aircraft destroyed on the day; later accounts list two Kfirs, a MiG-27, a Mi-24, a Mi-17 and three K-8 trainers destroyed on the military side and three SriLankan Airlines Airbuses destroyed on the civil side. A ceasefire followed in February 2002.
2006–2009: the last war, the Air Tigers and the question of civilians
When fighting resumed in 2006 the air force fought its most intensive campaign, and a new one: the LTTE had built a small air wing of Zlin Z 143 light aircraft. At 00:45 on 26 March 2007 two of them bombed Katunayake, killing three airmen; in October 2007 they supported the ground raid on Anuradhapura that destroyed about ten aircraft; the last two flew into Colombo on a suicide mission on 20 February 2009 and were shot down. A Kfir and MiG-27 strike killed the LTTE political head S. P. Thamilselvan at Kilinochchi on 2 November 2007, and six F-7G interceptors arrived in 2008 to counter the LTTE’s aircraft. The war ended in May 2009. A UN Secretary-General’s panel later found credible allegations that as many as 40,000 civilians may have been killed in the final months, most by government shelling, and that the LTTE held civilians as human shields; the government rejected the report as fundamentally flawed and calls the campaign a humanitarian operation.
2009–2026: peace, bankruptcy and a smaller air force
Peace left an air force of roughly 26,000 people, more than 160 aircraft by Wikipedia’s count, and no enemy. It found a new role in United Nations missions, with Mi-17s in the Central African Republic since 2014 and in South Sudan, but the combat fleet decayed. In 2016 a Cabinet spokesman said only one Kfir was usable and none of seven MiGs; talks on JF-17s or Tejas went nowhere, the MiG-27 squadron shut down in 2019, and after the 2022 economic crisis, when an air force An-32 flew President Gotabaya Rajapaksa out of the country, Mi-24s went into storage for lack of money. What followed was salvage and gifts: overhauled An-32s from Ukraine, a Dornier 228 from India in 2022, two Y-12s from China in 2023, ten TH-57 helicopters from the United States in 2026 and, on 11 June 2026, the first of five Kfirs rebuilt by IAI to C12 standard. The commander’s stated aim is a force of about 20,000 by 2030, “small but highly professional”.
The Sri Lanka Air Force in numbers
Service
- Native name
- ශ්රී ලංකා ගුවන් හමුදාව / இலங்கை விமானப்படைSinhala and Tamil, as written on the air force’s own Sinhala and Tamil websites. Until 1972 the service was the Royal Ceylon Air Force
- Founded
- 2 March 1951As the Royal Ceylon Air Force, with RAF officers and airmen seconded; renamed Sri Lanka Air Force when Ceylon became a republic in 1972
- Part of
- Sri Lanka Armed ForcesUnder the Ministry of Defence; the President is Commander in Chief
- Headquarters
- Air Force Headquarters, Sri Jayewardenepura KotteIn the Defence Headquarters Complex at the administrative capital, beside Colombo
- Commander
- Air Marshal Bandu Edirisinghe20th Commander since 29 January 2025
- Doctrine
- Air and Space Power Doctrine, third edition (2026)Issued on the 75th anniversary, 2 March 2026; the first to include space operations, with emphasis on maritime domain awareness. Earlier editions 2018 and 2022
- Motto
- Guardians of the SkyUsed as the title of the air force’s websites in all three languages
Strength
- Personnel
- About 26,000The commander’s own figure in March 2025, with a plan to shrink to about 20,000 by 2030; about 4,500 are due to retire between 2027 and 2032. In 1987 the force had about 3,700
- Combat aircraft
-
- IAI Kfir C12 — 5 in the upgrade programme (4 single-seat, 1 TC2 trainer)
- Chengdu F-7GS — about 5
The first upgraded Kfir flew on 11 June 2026. Wikipedia’s inventory says only two or three F-7s are fully operational; the air force does not publish numbers. The MiG-27 has been retired
- Transport and surveillance
-
- Harbin Y-12 — about 10
- Antonov An-32 — about 4
- C-130K Hercules — 2 (awaiting overhaul)
- Beechcraft King Air — 4
- Dornier 228 — 1
The commander counted four dedicated surveillance aircraft in 2025. Other counts are from Wikipedia’s inventory and are unofficial
- Helicopters
-
- Mil Mi-17 family — about 20
- Mil Mi-24/Mi-35 — about 5 (more in storage)
- Bell 412 — about 8
- Bell 212 — about 4
- Bell 206 and TH-57 — about 12
In March 2025 the commander said only two of the 18 Mi-17s in Sri Lanka were operational and that Mi-24s had been stored for lack of money; ten TH-57s arrived in June 2026
- Trainers
-
- Hongdu K-8 — about 6
- Nanchang PT-6 — 6 delivered 2018
- Cessna 150 — about 6
Wikipedia reports the PT-6s grounded after accidents; a K-8 was lost on 21 March 2025
- UN deployment
- Mi-17 aviation unit with MINUSCAIn the Central African Republic since September 2014; over 15,700 flying hours by September 2026
Infrastructure
- Installations
- About 20Wikipedia summarises them as six air bases with resident squadrons, eight forward operating airfields, four ground stations and two regiment detachments; the air force publishes no consolidated list
- Main flying bases
-
- Katunayake — fighters (No. 5 and 10 Squadrons), No. 2 Heavy Transport Squadron
- Ratmalana — Helitours, air force museum, TH-57 induction
- China Bay — Academy and Flying Training Wing
- Hingurakgoda — No. 7 Helicopter Squadron
Anuradhapura, Vavuniya, Palaly and Batticaloa are the other historically important fields
- Training establishments
-
- Academy, China Bay
- Junior Command and Staff College, China Bay
- Trade Training School, Ekala
- Combat Training School, Diyatalawa
As listed on the official site
- Air surveillance radar
- INDRA Mk II (India)India delivered 3,781 spare parts free of charge in September 2026 after shortages had affected the radars
- Overhaul capacity
- Aircraft Overhaul Wing, KatunayakeSet up in 2016 with China’s CATIC; first two overhauled F-7s accepted in July 2017
How the Sri Lanka Air Force is organised
Air Force Headquarters at Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte over about 20 installations, which Wikipedia summarises as six air bases with resident squadrons, eight forward operating airfields, four ground stations and two regiment detachments. Both fighter squadrons, the Kfirs of No. 10 and the F-7s of No. 5, fly from Katunayake; pilots learn to fly at China Bay, and No. 7 Helicopter Squadron is at Hingurakgoda. The commander’s stated aim is a force of about 20,000 by 2030, down from about 26,000.
Air Force Headquarters
In the Defence Headquarters Complex at Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte, under the Ministry of Defence; the President is Commander in Chief. Air Marshal Bandu Edirisinghe, a helicopter pilot, has been the 20th Commander of the Air Force since 29 January 2025.
SLAF Base Katunayake
The main base, beside Bandaranaike International Airport: No. 10 Fighter Squadron, whose Kfirs are being rebuilt to C12 standard with Israel Aerospace Industries (the first flew on 11 June 2026), No. 5 Jet Squadron with F-7s, No. 2 Heavy Transport Squadron and the Aircraft Overhaul Wing.
SLAF Academy China Bay
No. 1 Flying Training Wing, where every air force pilot learns to fly, on Cessna 150s, PT-6s and K-8s, with the Air Force Academy, the Junior Command and Staff College and a radar squadron.
No. 7 Helicopter Squadron
Bell 212 and Bell 206 helicopters at Hingurakgoda since 1994. In March 2025 the commander said only two of the 18 Mi-17s in Sri Lanka were operational and that Mi-24s had been stored for lack of money.
SLAF Base Ratmalana
Shared with Colombo’s old international airport: Helitours, the air force’s own airline, the air force museum and, since June 2026, helicopter training on ten TH-57 Sea Rangers from US Navy stocks.
Surveillance and radar squadrons
No. 111 Air Surveillance Squadron and No. 2 Air Defence Radar Squadron at Vavuniya, and No. 112 Surveillance Squadron and No. 6 Air Defence Radar Squadron at China Bay.
UN aviation unit
Mi-17 helicopters with MINUSCA in the Central African Republic since September 2014, with more than 15,700 flying hours by September 2026.
What the Sri Lanka Air Force flies today
Every type on charge, linked to its Book of Beasts page where one exists. Counts are aircraft on the books, not aircraft available on a given day.
| Type | Role | In service | Since | Units | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IAI Kfir C2, C7, TC2 and C12In service | Multirole fighter | 5 | 1996 | Five in the IAI upgrade to C12 standard: four C2/C7 single-seaters and one TC2 trainer (air force figure).
MoreBetween 15 and 16 were bought in all; the Jerusalem Post says 12 in 1996 — see note. |
||
| Chengdu F-7BS, F-7GS and FT-7In service | Interceptor and trainer | 5 | 1991 | About five F-7GS (Wikipedia); only two or three said to be fully operational. The F-7BS and FT-7 have left the active fleet; Pakistan has offered an FT-7. | ||
| Hongdu K-8 KarakorumIn service | Advanced jet trainer | 6 | About six (Wikipedia). Delivery year not confirmed in the sources checked; K-8s were already at Katunayake in July 2001. | |||
| Nanchang PT-6 (CJ-6)In service | Basic trainer | 6 | 2018 | Six delivered in May 2018; Wikipedia reports the type grounded after several accidents. | ||
| Cessna 150In service | Primary trainer | 6 | About six (Wikipedia). | |||
| Beechcraft King Air 200, 350 and 360ERIn service | Maritime surveillance | 4 | 1985 | Four dedicated surveillance aircraft (commander, 2025): per Wikipedia two King Air 200s, one ex-RAAF King Air 350 from Australia and one King Air 360ER from the United States. | ||
| Dornier 228In service | Maritime patrol | 1 | 2022 | One, provided by India. | ||
| Antonov An-32BIn service | Transport | 4 | About four (Wikipedia); three were overhauled in Ukraine and returned in June 2021. | |||
| Harbin Y-12 II and IVIn service | Light transport | 10 | About ten (Wikipedia), including two Y-12 IVs received from China on 5 December 2023. | |||
| Lockheed C-130K HerculesIn service | Heavy transport | 2 | Two, awaiting overhaul and in reserve (Wikipedia). In 2025 the air force was discussing two more C-130s. | |||
| Xian MA60In service | Transport (Helitours) | 2 | 2011 | Two delivered 2011. Current flying status not confirmed: in 2025 the commander referred to the MA60 at the Helitours Technical Training Centre. | ||
| Bell TH-57C Sea RangerIn service | Training helicopter | 10 | 2026 | Ten, from US Navy stocks. | ||
| Bell 206 JetRangerIn service | Training and utility helicopter | 2 | 1971 | About two older 206s (Wikipedia), besides the TH-57s. | ||
| Bell 212In service | Utility and gunship helicopter | 4 | 1983 | About four (Wikipedia); 11 bought 1983–85 and nine more later. | ||
| Bell 412 and 412EPIn service | VIP and utility helicopter | 8 | 1983 | About eight (Wikipedia). | ||
| Mil Mi-17, Mi-171 and Mi-171ShIn service | Transport helicopter | 20 | 1993 | About 20 (Wikipedia). The commander said in March 2025 that only two of the 18 in Sri Lanka were operational; others serve with MINUSCA or await overhaul. | ||
| Mil Mi-24 and Mi-35In service | Attack helicopter | 5 | 1995 | About five in service and up to ten stored (Wikipedia); the commander said in 2025 that Mi-24s were stored for lack of money. | ||
| EMIT Blue Horizon 2 and other UAVsIn service | Reconnaissance UAV |
On order
| Type | Ordered | First delivery | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IAI Kfir C12 (upgrade)On order | 4 | 2026 | Five Kfirs (four single-seat, one TC2) are being rebuilt by IAI; the first flew on 11 June 2026. Dates for the other four were not published. Contract value about US$49–50 million. | |
| Dornier 228 (second aircraft)On order | 1 | Wikipedia reports a second Dornier on order from India; not confirmed on an official page. | ||
| Chengdu FT-7 (ex-Pakistan Air Force)On order | 1 | Offered by Pakistan as a donation, according to the commander in March 2025; delivery not confirmed. |
Every type the Sri Lanka Air Force has retired
15 types, from the de Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk to the Mikoyan MiG-27 and MiG-23UB. Peak figures are airframes taken on charge over the whole service life, not fleet strength on any one date.
| Type | Role | Peak | Served | Replaced by | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mikoyan MiG-27 and MiG-23UB | Ground attack | 2000–2019 | Wikipedia: four in May 2000, two more ordered in October 2000 plus a MiG-23UB trainer, and four in 2007; seven were left but unusable by 2016. | |||
| FMA IA 58 Pucará | Counter-insurgency | 4 | 1993–1999 | Four. | ||
| Shaanxi Y-8 | Transport and improvised bomber | 2 | 1987–1992 | Two in 1987. | ||
| Shenyang J-5 and FT-5 | Fighter and trainer | 2 | 1991– | Two J-5s (Wikipedia); No. 5 Squadron reformed with two FT-5 trainers. | ||
| Hawker Siddeley HS 748 | Transport | 1978– | One from Air Ceylon in 1978, another bought 1983–85. | |||
| SIAI-Marchetti SF.260 and Cessna 337 | Light attack and liaison | 5 | 1983– | Three SF.260s and two Cessna 337s bought 1983–85. | ||
| Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17F and MiG-15UTI | Fighter-bomber | 6 | 1971– | Five MiG-17Fs and one MiG-15UTI. | ||
| Bell 47G | Light helicopter | 6 | 1971– | Six. The Wikipedia articles disagree whether they were bought from the United States or from Singapore (delivered by the RAF on 17 April 1971). | ||
| Kamov Ka-26 | Light helicopter | 2 | 1971– | Two. | ||
| Hunting Jet Provost T.51 | Jet trainer and light attack | 12 | 1959– | Five, then seven more (Wikipedia). | ||
| de Havilland Vampire | Jet fighter | 1959– | Jet Provost | |||
| de Havilland Dove and Heron | Transport | |||||
| Boulton Paul Balliol T.2 and Airspeed Oxford | Advanced trainer | |||||
| Westland Dragonfly | Helicopter | |||||
| de Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk | Basic trainer | 4 | 1950– | First batch of four; total not confirmed. |
Where the Sri Lanka Air Force flies from
Black pins are active bases, hollow pins the airfields that have closed. Katunayake, the main base, was attacked by Black Tiger commandos on 24 July 2001 and bombed by the LTTE’s own light aircraft on 26 March 2007. Several of the fields began as RAF stations in the Second World War; Palaly has been shared with Jaffna International Airport since 2019, and Batticaloa has been an international airport since 2019. Koggala, Sigiriya and Weerawila are air force stations whose present role was not confirmed. Entries with no published aerodrome data carry no pin.
Sri Lanka
2 of the 11 bases above sit outside Sri Lanka, so the world map has to pull back until the home airfields cannot be told apart. The same pins again, without the overseas bases.
| Base | ICAO | Status | Runway | Units and aircraft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SLAF Academy China BayEastern Province, Trincomalee District | VCCT | Active | 06/242,397 m |
|
| SLAF Base AnuradhapuraNorth Central Province, Anuradhapura District | VCCA | Active | 05/231,630 mbitumen |
|
| SLAF Base BatticaloaEastern Province, Batticaloa District | VCCB | Active | 06/241,560 mbitumen |
|
| SLAF Base HingurakgodaNorth Central Province, Polonnaruwa District | VCCH | Active | 07/252,287 mbitumen |
|
| SLAF Base KatunayakeWestern Province, Gampaha District | VCBI | Active | 04/223,350 m |
|
| SLAF Base PalalyNorthern Province, Jaffna District | VCCJ | Active | 05/231,400 m |
|
| SLAF Base RatmalanaWestern Province, Colombo District | VCCC | Active |
|
|
| SLAF Base VavuniyaNorthern Province, Vavuniya District | VCCV | Active | 05/231,524 m |
|
| SLAF KoggalaSouthern Province, Galle District | Active |
|
||
| SLAF SigiriyaCentral Province, Matale District | Active |
|
||
| SLAF WeerawilaSouthern Province, Hambantota District | Active |
|
No air base matches that search.
Who is stationed where in the Sri Lanka Air Force
Flying units by base, current units first. No. 5 Jet Squadron has had three lives: with Jet Provosts at China Bay from 1959, with MiG-17s at Ratmalana from 1971 to 1980, and with F-7s at Katunayake since 1991. Where a unit’s aircraft or role could not be confirmed, the entry says so.
- No. 10 Fighter SquadronFighter squadron · active
- IAI Kfir C2/C7/TC2, being rebuilt to C12
- No. 5 Jet SquadronFighter squadron · active
- Chengdu F-7BS/F-7GS and FT-7, Hongdu K-8 (in the war years)
- No. 2 Heavy Transport SquadronTransport squadron · active
- Lockheed C-130K Hercules, Dornier 228
- Aircraft Overhaul WingMaintenance wing · active
- F-7 and other types in overhaul
- No. 12 Squadron2007–2019
- Mikoyan MiG-27 and MiG-23UB
- No. 1 Flight (later No. 1 Flying Training Wing)1951–1963
- de Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk
- Royal Air Force squadrons at RAF Negombo1944–1950
- Various RAF types
- No. 1 Flying Training WingFlying training wing · active
- Cessna 150, Nanchang PT-6, Hongdu K-8 (No. 14 Squadron element)
- Sri Lanka Air Force AcademyOfficer training · active
- Ground training
- No. 6 Air Defence Radar SquadronRadar squadron · active
- Ground radar
- No. 112 Surveillance SquadronSurveillance squadron · active
- Not stated
- No. 5 Jet Squadron (first incarnation)1959–1971
- Hunting Jet Provost T.51
- RAF and Fleet Air Arm squadrons at RAF China Bay1942–1957
- Hawker Hurricane, Consolidated B-24 Liberator, Consolidated Catalina, Short Sunderland
- US Army Air Forces XX Bomber Command detachment1944–1944
- Boeing B-29 Superfortress
- HelitoursAir force airline · active
- Xian MA60, Harbin Y-12 and others
- TH-57 rotary-wing trainingHelicopter training · active
- Bell TH-57C Sea Ranger
- No. 5 Jet Squadron (1971–80)1971–1980
- Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17F, MiG-15UTI
- No. 30 Squadron RAF
- Hawker Hurricane
- No. 7 Helicopter SquadronHelicopter squadron · active
- Bell 212, Bell 206
- RAF Minneriya1942–1946
- No. 1 Flying Training Wing (1988–2009)1988–2009
- Nanchang PT-6, Hongdu K-8, SIAI-Marchetti SF.260W Warrior
- No. 111 Air Surveillance SquadronSurveillance squadron · active
- UAVs
- No. 2 Air Defence Radar SquadronRadar squadron · active
- Ground radar
- SLAF Palaly (Air Field Unit)Station · active
- Transport aircraft and helicopters of other units
- RAF squadrons at Palaly
- SLAF BatticaloaStation · active
- No resident squadron named in the sources read
- SLAF KoggalaStation · active
- SLAF SigiriyaStation · active
- SLAF Weerawila (Wirawila)Station · active
No unit matches that search.
Sri Lanka Air Force milestones, 1914 to today
2 March: the Royal Ceylon Air Force is formed with RAF personnel on secondment; Chipmunk trainers have been ordered.
1 November: Air HQ Ceylon, the RAF headquarters, is disbanded after the RCyAF takes over Katunayake and China Bay (1956).
Vampire jets, then Hunting Jet Provosts, form the first Jet Squadron.
12 November: Air Commodore Rohan Amerasekera becomes the first Ceylonese commander.
5 April: the JVP insurrection; stored Jet Provosts fly strikes within three days. 22 April: Soviet MiG-17Fs arrive.
Ceylon becomes a republic; the service is renamed Sri Lanka Air Force. 31 March 1976: President’s Colour.
Y-8 and more Y-12 transports arrive; 4 June: Indian aircraft drop supplies over Jaffna (Operation Poomalai).
1 February: No. 5 Squadron reformed at Katunayake with Chinese FT-5s, then F-7s.
Mi-24 gunships arrive. April: two Avro transports shot down by LTTE missiles over Jaffna. 9 July: the Navaly church bombing.
First Kfirs from Israel; No. 10 Squadron formed.
MiG-27s from Ukraine; Kfir C7s and Mi-35s added.
24 July: Black Tiger attack on Katunayake destroys military and civilian aircraft.
26 March: first LTTE air raid, on Katunayake. 22 October: Anuradhapura raid. 2 November: air strike kills S. P. Thamilselvan.
20 February: last LTTE air attack, on Colombo; both aircraft shot down. May: the war ends.
September: Mi-17 aviation unit deploys to the UN mission in the Central African Republic.
13 July: an SLAF An-32 flies President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to the Maldives. 15 August: Dornier 228 from India inducted.
29 January: Air Marshal Bandu Edirisinghe becomes 20th commander. Late November: Cyclone Ditwah relief.
2 March: 75th anniversary. 11 June: first Kfir C12 flight. 23 June: ten TH-57 helicopters from the US inducted.
Every war the Sri Lanka Air Force has fought
Sorties and losses where the record gives them, and an honest blank where it does not.
- The 1971 JVP insurrection 1971 Resupplied besieged police stations by helicopter and attacked insurgent positions with Jet Provosts
- Eelam War I 1983–1987 Helicopter gunship and transport support to the army; from 1987 bombing with converted Y-8 transports, including during Operation Liberation (Vadamarachchi) in May 1987
- Eelam War II 1990–1995 Close support, bombing, transport and casualty evacuation; the first fast jets since 1971 (F-7, J-5) and the first Pucarás and Mi-17s
- Eelam War III 1995–2002 Bombing and close support with Kfirs, MiG-27s, Mi-24s and Pucarás; transport to the besieged Jaffna peninsula
- Eelam War IV 2006–2009 Bombing, close support and interdiction with Kfirs, MiG-27s and Mi-24s; air defence against LTTE aircraft with F-7Gs and K-8s
Everything people ask about the Sri Lanka Air Force
What is the Sri Lanka Air Force called in Sinhala and Tamil?
When was the Sri Lanka Air Force founded?
Which fighter jets does the Sri Lanka Air Force fly?
Does Sri Lanka still fly the MiG-27?
Did the Tamil Tigers really have an air force?
Did the Sri Lanka Air Force ever shoot down an aircraft?
What happened at Katunayake on 24 July 2001?
What did the UN say about civilian deaths at the end of the war?
How big is the Sri Lanka Air Force?
Who commands the Sri Lanka Air Force?
Read the aircraft the Sri Lanka Air Force flew
Every type with a page in the Book of Beasts, in service first, then by the year it left the fleet.
Every fact, checked
- Sri Lanka Air Force: Air Marshal Bandu Edirisinghe assumes duties as the 20th Commander of the Sri Lanka Air Force (29 January 2025)Promoted Air Marshal and appointed 20th Commander by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake with effect from 29 January 2025.
- Sri Lanka Air Force: Commander makes the farewell call on the Prime Minister (28 January 2025)Outgoing commander Air Chief Marshal Udeni Rajapaksa.
- Sri Lanka Air Force: Commander of the Air ForceBiography of Air Marshal V. B. Edirisinghe: 24th officer cadet intake 1991, commissioned 1993, over 11,000 helicopter hours.
- Sri Lanka Air Force: HistoryRCyAF born 2 March 1951; first Chipmunks ordered 1950; 1971 insurgency; Y-12 and Y-8 additions in 1987; 21,895 hours flown in 1997 despite nine manned aircraft lost.
- Sri Lanka Air Force: Aircraft fleetOfficial fleet page listing types by role (still lists the MiG-27); no numbers.
- Sri Lanka Air Force: Academy, bases and stationsAcademy China Bay, Flying Training Wing, Junior Command and Staff College, Ekala, Diyatalawa.
- Sri Lanka Air Force: Sinhala websiteOfficial Sinhala name and the motto “Guardians of the Sky” in the page title.
- Sri Lanka Air Force: Tamil websiteOfficial Tamil name in the page title.
- Sri Lanka Air Force: Kfir ‘Lion Cub’ returns to the skies with successful test flight after long hiatus (11 June 2026)Four Kfir C2/C7 and one TC2 being upgraded to Kfir C12 standard with IAI; No. 10 Fighter Squadron, Katunayake; Kfir in service since 1996.
- Sri Lanka Air Force: SLAF inducts TH-57 Sea Ranger helicopters (23 June 2026)Ten Bell 206 TH-57 Sea Rangers from the US Excess Defense Articles programme, inducted at Ratmalana in the presence of the President.
- Sri Lanka Air Force: SLAF inducts Dornier 228 maritime patrol aircraft (15 August 2022)Handed over at No. 2 Heavy Transport Squadron, Katunayake, with the Indian High Commissioner and Vice Chief of the Indian Naval Staff present; maintained under supervision of an Indian technical team.
- Sri Lanka Air Force: Investigation launched following crash of K-8 advanced jet trainer aircraft (21 March 2025)K-8 of No. 5 Fighter Squadron crashed near Wariyapola; both pilots ejected.
- Sri Lanka Air Force: Emergency landing – SLAF Bell 212 (30 November 2025)Bell 212 on Cyclone Ditwah relief made an emergency landing near Lunuwila Bridge with five aboard.
- Sri Lanka Air Force: Two IAF Mi-17V5 helicopters arrive in Sri Lanka to support ongoing SAR operations (29 November 2025)Indian Air Force helicopters and 22 personnel at Katunayake for Cyclone Ditwah relief.
- Sri Lanka Air Force: SLAF launches third edition of Air and Space Power Doctrine on 75th anniversary (2 March 2026)Third edition adds space operations and stresses maritime domain awareness; earlier editions 2018 and 2022.
- Sri Lanka Air Force: 75th anniversary commemorative medal ceremony (3 March 2026)Medal to all personnel serving on 2 March 2026; Air Force Headquarters, Sri Jayewardenepura.
- Sri Lanka Air Force: SLAF deploys an aviation unit under UN mission in Central African Republic (September 2014)Three Mi-17s and 122 personnel as No. 62 Helicopter Flight; deployment from 15 September 2014.
- Sri Lanka Air Force: Sri Aviation Unit commemorates 12 years of service in MINUSCA (11 September 2026)First contingent 9 September 2014; over 15,700 flying hours; based at Bria.
- Sri Lanka Air Force: SLAF successfully concludes helicopter rotation for MINUSCA (23 September 2026)Mi-17 exchanged by UN-provided An-124 on 17 September 2026.
- Sri Lanka Air Force: SLAF C-130 proves success in resupply missions (March 2016)C-130 resupply flight to UNMISS (South Sudan) and MINUSCA, 20–24 March 2016.
- Sri Lanka Air Force: Two F-7 aircraft accepted after overhaul (10 July 2017)First F-7s overhauled at the Aircraft Overhaul Wing, Katunayake, set up in 2016 with CATIC.
- Sri Lanka Air Force: The Commander accepts six PT-6 aircraft from CATIC (15 May 2018)Six PT-6 ab initio trainers for No. 1 Flying Training Wing, China Bay.
- Sri Lanka Air Force: Sri Lanka Air Force takes delivery of MA 60 aircraft (30 September 2011)Two civil-registered MA60s for Helitours at Ratmalana.
- Sri Lanka Air Force: No. 7 Helicopter Squadron marks 32nd anniversary (24 September 2026)Formed as No. 401 Squadron on 23 September 1994, No. 7 from 23 March 1996; Hingurakgoda; Bell 212 and Bell 206.
- Sri Lanka Air Force: Receipt of spare parts from the Indian Air Force for INDRA Mk II radar systems (11 September 2026)3,781 spare parts delivered free of charge on 8 September 2026.
- Sunday Times (Sri Lanka): Mission possible – SLAF takes to the skies with rightsizing, modernising (2 March 2025)Interview with Air Marshal Bandu Edirisinghe: about 26,000 personnel, 20,000 by 2030; MiG-27 given up; F-7s for air policing; 2 of 18 Mi-17s in Sri Lanka operational; Mi-24s stored for lack of money; Dornier at Trincomalee.
- Sunday Times (Sri Lanka): Situation Report on the Katunayake attack (29 July 2001)14 Black Tigers; three SriLankan Airlines Airbuses destroyed and three damaged.
- Sunday Times (Sri Lanka): Situation Report on the first LTTE air raid (1 April 2007)Two Zlin Z-143s bombed Katunayake at 00:45 on 26 March 2007; three airmen killed, 16 wounded.
- Sunday Times (Sri Lanka): Situation Report on the Anuradhapura attack (28 October 2007)List of aircraft destroyed at Anuradhapura; attacker numbers disputed (21 or 27); losses over US$30 million.
- Sunday Times (Sri Lanka): Situation Report on the air strike on S. P. Thamilselvan (4 November 2007)Kfir and MiG-27 strike at Kilinochchi on 2 November 2007; LTTE statement confirming the death.
- Sunday Times (Sri Lanka): Situation Report on the Vavuniya attack (14 September 2008)SLAF claim of an F-7 kill, LTTE claim that its aircraft returned safely; “independent verification of both claims is not possible”.
- Sunday Times (Sri Lanka): Tigers go kamikaze but attacks fail (22 February 2009)Two Zlin-Z143s with 215 kg of C-4 each; one crashed into the Inland Revenue building, one shot down near Katunayake; 2 dead, 58 injured.
- Sunday Times (Sri Lanka): Questions over SLAF’s aircraft purchase deals running into Rs. 64.8 billion (10 June 2018)Proposed Mi-171Sh, Mi-17, UAV and helicopter buys financed partly by a Russian credit line.
- TamilNet: Tension after dawn raid (24 July 2001)Same-day tally: 13 aircraft destroyed, 12 attackers and four airmen killed.
- Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka): SLAF conducts first test flight of upgraded Kfir C12 fighter aircraft (11 June 2026)First flight at Katunayake.
- Jerusalem Post: Israel’s Kfir aircraft will continue flying in Sri Lanka (15 June 2026)Five Kfirs in a US$50 million IAI programme, to fly to about 2030; says Sri Lanka bought 12 Kfirs in 1996.
- Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka): IAI to upgrade the Sri Lankan Air Force’s Kfir aircraft (30 June 2021)IAI announcement: new avionics, radar and helmets.
- Daily FT: Govt. green-lights $49 m fighter jet overhaul as No. 10 Squadron turns 25 (January 2021)Four single-seat Kfirs and a trainer; No. 10 Squadron formed 1996; few Kfirs serviceable after 2009.
- Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka): Several AF fighter jets, combat helicopters to be overhauled (8 January 2021)Kfirs and Mi-17s sent abroad for overhaul.
- Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka): SLAF receives two Y-12-IV aircraft from China (5 December 2023)Two Harbin Y-12 IV.
- Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka): SLAF to get three overhauled Antonov-32 aircraft from Ukraine (9 June 2021)Three An-32s overhauled in Ukraine.
- The Morning: The exit of a beleaguered President (16 July 2022)President Gotabaya Rajapaksa left Katunayake for the Maldives in an SLAF An-32 on 13 July 2022; air force statement.
- Aviation Week: Sri Lanka seeks two King Air 360ERs for maritime patrol (26 February 2021)US Foreign Military Sales case for two King Air 360ERs with radar and EO/IR sensor.
- The Diplomat: Sri Lanka mulls purchase of new fighter aircraft (August 2016)8–12 fighters sought; Cabinet spokesman: one Kfir usable, seven MiGs unusable; 16 Kfirs originally acquired.
- Human Rights Watch/Asia: Sri Lanka (July 1995, Vol. 7, No. 11)Navaly church bombing of 9 July 1995; abuses by both government forces and the LTTE.
- United Nations: Secretary-General’s Panel of Experts on Accountability in Sri LankaPanel appointed by the Secretary-General; report delivered in April 2011.
- OHCHR: Investigation on Sri Lanka (OISL)Investigation under HRC resolution 25/1 (2014) of violations by both parties; report A/HRC/30/CRP.2, September 2015.
- Sri Lanka Air Force: No. 1 Flying Training WingOfficial history of the Flying Training Wing: formed as No. 1 Flight at Katunayake on 1 September 1951, moved to China Bay 1963, to Anuradhapura 11 August 1988, back to China Bay 1 January 2009.
- Sri Lanka Air Force: Academy China BayOfficial Academy site: units at China Bay and 2026 anniversaries.
Figures verified 2026-09-30. Order of Battle pages are regenerated from a single dataset; if a number here disagrees with a Book of Beasts page, this page is the more recent of the two.
Photographs: Photo: Chamal Pathirana / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Photo: Rehman Abubakrmodified by FOX 52 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Rehman Abubakr / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: James from Cheltenham, Gloucestershire / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Photo: AKS.9955 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Windmemories / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Mfield – Matthew Field, http://www.photography.mattfield.com / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.5) · Photo: Dinil Samarasinha / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Amal Samantha / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Peer.Gynt / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Photo: Pasanm79 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: calflier001 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Photo: SPARKY358 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: ProtoplasmaKid / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Photo: Bandanschik / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Photo: Richard Smith / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Photo: Carlos E. Perez S.L / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Photo: Bidgee / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0 au)