斯里兰卡空军
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
服务
- 本地名称
- 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
- 创立
- 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
- 一部分
- Sri Lanka Armed ForcesUnder the Ministry of Defence; the President is Commander in Chief
- 总部
- Air Force Headquarters, Sri Jayewardenepura KotteIn the Defence Headquarters Complex at the administrative capital, beside Colombo
- 指挥官
- 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
- 座右铭
- Guardians of the SkyUsed as the title of the air force’s websites in all three languages
力量
- 人员
- 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
- 战斗机
-
- 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
- 运输和监视
-
- 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
- 直升机
-
- 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
- 教练
-
- 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
基础设施
- 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.
空军总部
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.
斯里兰卡空军学院中国湾
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
每种收费类型都链接到其在《野兽之书》中的页面（如果存在）。. 统计的是登记在册的飞机数量，而不是某一天可用的飞机数量。.
| 类型 | 角色 | 在服役 | 自从 | 单位 | 笔记 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IAI Kfir C2、C7、TC2 和 C12在服役 | 多用途战斗机 | 5 | 1996 | Five in the IAI upgrade to C12 standard: four C2/C7 single-seaters and one TC2 trainer (air force figure).
更多的Between 15 and 16 were bought in all; the Jerusalem Post says 12 in 1996 — see note. |
||
| 成都F-7BS、F-7GS和FT-7在服役 | 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. | ||
| 洪都K-8喀喇昆仑在服役 | 高级喷气教练机 | 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)在服役 | 基础教练 | 6 | 2018 | Six delivered in May 2018; Wikipedia reports the type grounded after several accidents. | ||
| 塞斯纳150在服役 | 主教练 | 6 | About six (Wikipedia). | |||
| Beechcraft King Air 200, 350 and 360ER在服役 | 海上监视 | 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. | ||
| 多尼尔228在服役 | 海上巡逻 | 1 | 2022 | One, provided by India. | ||
| Antonov An-32B在服役 | 运输 | 4 | About four (Wikipedia); three were overhauled in Ukraine and returned in June 2021. | |||
| Harbin Y-12 II and IV在服役 | 光运输 | 10 | About ten (Wikipedia), including two Y-12 IVs received from China on 5 December 2023. | |||
| 洛克希德C-130K大力神运输机在服役 | 重型运输 | 2 | Two, awaiting overhaul and in reserve (Wikipedia). In 2025 the air force was discussing two more C-130s. | |||
| 西安马60在服役 | 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 Ranger在服役 | 训练直升机 | 10 | 2026 | Ten, from US Navy stocks. | ||
| Bell 206 JetRanger在服役 | 训练和通用直升机 | 2 | 1971 | About two older 206s (Wikipedia), besides the TH-57s. | ||
| 贝尔212在服役 | Utility and gunship helicopter | 4 | 1983 | About four (Wikipedia); 11 bought 1983–85 and nine more later. | ||
| Bell 412 and 412EP在服役 | VIP and utility helicopter | 8 | 1983 | About eight (Wikipedia). | ||
| 米-17、米-171 和米-171Sh在服役 | 运输直升机 | 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. | ||
| 米-24和米-35在服役 | 攻击直升机 | 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 UAVs在服役 | Reconnaissance UAV |
已下单
| 类型 | 已订购 | 首批交付 | 笔记 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IAI Kfir C12 (upgrade)已下单 | 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)已下单 | 1 | Wikipedia reports a second Dornier on order from India; not confirmed on an official page. | ||
| Chengdu FT-7 (ex-Pakistan Air Force)已下单 | 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. 峰值数字是指飞机在整个服役期内接收的机身数量，而不是任何某一天的机队规模。.
| 类型 | 角色 | 顶峰 | 已上菜 | 被替换为 | 笔记 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 米格-27和米格-23UB | 地面攻击 | 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 | 四、. | ||
| Shaanxi Y-8 | Transport and improvised bomber | 2 | 1987–1992 | Two in 1987. | ||
| 沈阳J-5和FT-5 | 战士兼教练 | 2 | 1991年 | Two J-5s (Wikipedia); No. 5 Squadron reformed with two FT-5 trainers. | ||
| 霍克·西德利 HS 748 | 运输 | 1978– | One from Air Ceylon in 1978, another bought 1983–85. | |||
| SIAI-Marchetti SF.260 and Cessna 337 | Light attack and liaison | 5 | 1983年 | Three SF.260s and two Cessna 337s bought 1983–85. | ||
| 米高扬-古列维奇 MiG-17F 和 MiG-15UTI | 战斗轰炸机 | 6 | 1971年 | Five MiG-17Fs and one MiG-15UTI. | ||
| 贝尔47G | 轻型直升机 | 6 | 1971年 | 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 | 轻型直升机 | 2 | 1971年 | 二。. | ||
| 亨廷喷气式教务长T.51 | 喷气式教练机和轻型攻击机 | 12 | 1959年— | Five, then seven more (Wikipedia). | ||
| 德哈维兰吸血鬼 | 喷气式战斗机 | 1959年— | 喷气式飞机 | |||
| de Havilland Dove and Heron | 运输 | |||||
| Boulton Paul Balliol T.2 and Airspeed Oxford | 高级教练 | |||||
| Westland Dragonfly | 直升机 | |||||
| de Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk | 基础教练 | 4 | 1950年— | First batch of four; total not confirmed. |
Where the Sri Lanka Air Force flies from
黑色的标记代表正在使用的基地，空心的标记代表已经关闭的机场。. 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.
斯里兰卡
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.
| 根据 | 国际民航组织 | 地位 | 跑道 | 部队和飞机 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 斯里兰卡空军学院中国湾东部省，亭可马里区 | VCCT | 积极的 | 06/242,397 米 |
|
| SLAF Base AnuradhapuraNorth Central Province, Anuradhapura District | VCCA | 积极的 | 05/231,630 m沥青 |
|
| 斯里兰卡空军拜蒂克洛基地Eastern Province, Batticaloa District | VCCB | 积极的 | 06/241,560 米沥青 |
|
| 斯里兰卡空军欣古拉戈达基地North Central Province, Polonnaruwa District | VCCH | 积极的 | 07/252,287 m沥青 |
|
| SLAF Base KatunayakeWestern Province, Gampaha District | VCBI | 积极的 | 04/223,350 米 |
|
| SLAF Base PalalyNorthern Province, Jaffna District | VCCJ | 积极的 | 05/231400米 |
|
| SLAF Base RatmalanaWestern Province, Colombo District | VCCC | 积极的 | ||
| SLAF Base VavuniyaNorthern Province, Vavuniya District | VCCV | 积极的 | 05/231,524 米 |
|
| SLAF KoggalaSouthern Province, Galle District | 积极的 |
|
||
| SLAF SigiriyaCentral Province, Matale District | 积极的 |
|
||
| SLAF WeerawilaSouthern Province, Hambantota District | 积极的 |
|
没有找到符合搜索结果的空军基地。.
Who is stationed where in the Sri Lanka Air Force
按基地排列飞行部队，当前部队优先。. 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 Squadron战斗机中队·现役
- IAI Kfir C2/C7/TC2, being rebuilt to C12
- No. 5 Jet Squadron战斗机中队·现役
- Chengdu F-7BS/F-7GS and FT-7, Hongdu K-8 (in the war years)
- No. 2 Heavy Transport Squadron运输中队 · 现役
- 洛克希德C-130K大力神运输机, Dornier 228
- Aircraft Overhaul WingMaintenance wing · active
- F-7 and other types in overhaul
- 第12中队2007–2019
- 米格-27和米格-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
- 第一飞行训练联队飞行训练联队·活跃
- 塞斯纳150，南昌PT-6，, 洪都K-8（第14中队分队）
- 斯里兰卡空军学院Officer training · active
- 地面训练
- 第6防空雷达中队雷达中队·现役
- 地面雷达
- 第112监视中队监视中队·活跃
- 未说明
- 第5喷气式中队（第一版）1959–1971
- 亨廷喷气式教务长T.51
- 皇家空军和海军航空兵中队驻扎在皇家空军中国湾基地1942–1957
- Hawker Hurricane, Consolidated B-24 Liberator, Consolidated Catalina, Short Sunderland
- 美国陆军航空兵第二十轰炸机司令部分遣队1944–1944
- 波音B-29超级堡垒
- HelitoursAir force airline · active
- Xian MA60, Harbin Y-12 and others
- TH-57 rotary-wing training直升机训练 · 活跃
- Bell TH-57C Sea Ranger
- No. 5 Jet Squadron (1971–80)1971–1980
- Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17F, MiG-15UTI
- No. 30 Squadron RAF
- 霍克飓风
- No. 7 Helicopter Squadron直升机中队 · 现役
- 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 Squadron监视中队·活跃
- UAVs
- No. 2 Air Defence Radar Squadron雷达中队·现役
- 地面雷达
- SLAF Palaly (Air Field Unit)Station · active
- Transport aircraft and helicopters of other units
- RAF squadrons at Palaly
- SLAF BatticaloaStation · active
- 消息来源中没有提及驻扎中队的名称。
- SLAF KoggalaStation · active
- SLAF SigiriyaStation · active
- SLAF Weerawila (Wirawila)Station · active
没有符合搜索条件的单位。.
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.
斯里兰卡空军参与的每一场战争
记录中有出击次数和损失的地方都如实记录，没有记录的地方则保持空白。.
- 1971年人民解放阵线起义 1971 Resupplied besieged police stations by helicopter and attacked insurgent positions with Jet Provosts
- 第一次伊拉姆战争 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
- 第二次伊拉姆战争 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
- 第三次伊拉姆战争 1995–2002 Bombing and close support with Kfirs, MiG-27s, Mi-24s and Pucarás; transport to the besieged Jaffna peninsula
- 第四次伊拉姆战争 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?
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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?
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Read the aircraft the Sri Lanka Air Force flew
每种类型都在《野兽之书》中占有一席之地，先按服役年份，再按离开舰队的年份。.
所有事实均已核实
- 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.
- 斯里兰卡空军：历史加拿大皇家空军成立于 1951 年 3 月 2 日；第一批 Chipmunks 飞机于 1950 年订购；1971 年叛乱；1987 年新增 Y-12 和 Y-8 型飞机；1997 年飞行 21,895 小时，尽管损失了 9 架有人驾驶飞机。.
- Sri Lanka Air Force: Aircraft fleetOfficial fleet page listing types by role (still lists the MiG-27); no numbers.
- 斯里兰卡空军：学院、基地和驻地中国湾学院，飞行训练联队，初级指挥参谋学院，埃卡拉，迪亚塔拉瓦。.
- 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.
- 斯里兰卡空军：幼狮战斗机在长期停飞后成功完成试飞重返蓝天（2026年6月11日）以色列航空工业公司（IAI）正在将四架 Kfir C2/C7 和一架 TC2 升级为 Kfir C12 标准；第 10 战斗机中队，卡图纳亚克；Kfir 自 1996 年以来一直在服役。.
- 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.
- 斯里兰卡空军：斯里兰卡空军根据联合国任务向中非共和国部署了一支航空部队（2014年9月）第 62 直升机飞行队配备 3 架 Mi-17 直升机和 122 名人员；于 2014 年 9 月 15 日开始部署。.
- 斯里兰卡空军：斯里兰卡航空部队纪念在中非共和国稳定团服役12周年（2026年9月11日）首批人员于 2014 年 9 月 9 日抵达；飞行时间超过 15,700 小时；驻扎在布里亚。.
- 斯里兰卡空军：斯里兰卡空军成功完成对中非共和国多层面综合稳定团（MINUSCA）的直升机轮换部署（2026年9月23日）2026年9月17日，联合国提供的安-124运输机与米-17运输机进行了交换。.
- 斯里兰卡空军：SLAF C-130 在补给任务中取得成功（2016 年 3 月）2016 年 3 月 20 日至 24 日，C-130 向联合国南苏丹特派团 (UNMISS) 和中非共和国稳定团 (MINUSCA) 进行补给飞行。.
- 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.
- 斯里兰卡空军：司令接收来自中航工业公司的六架PT-6飞机（2018年5月15日）为驻扎在中国的中国湾第一飞行训练联队提供六架PT-6初级教练机。.
- 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.
- 《星期日泰晤士报》（斯里兰卡）：卡图纳亚克袭击事件情况报告（2001年7月29日）14架黑虎战斗机；3架斯里兰卡航空公司空客飞机被摧毁，3架受损。.
- 《星期日泰晤士报》（斯里兰卡）：关于猛虎组织首次空袭的情况报告（2007年4月1日）2007 年 3 月 26 日 00:45，两架 Zlin Z-143 轰炸机轰炸了卡图纳亚克；三名飞行员丧生，16 人受伤。.
- 《星期日泰晤士报》（斯里兰卡）：阿努拉德普勒袭击事件情况报告（2007年10月28日）阿努拉德普勒被摧毁的飞机清单；攻击者数量有争议（21 或 27）；损失超过 3000 万美元。.
- 《星期日泰晤士报》（斯里兰卡）：关于SP Thamilselvan空袭的情况报告（2007年11月4日）2007 年 11 月 2 日，Kfir 和 MiG-27 战斗机袭击了基利诺奇；猛虎组织发表声明确认了死亡事件。.
- 《星期日泰晤士报》（斯里兰卡）：瓦武尼亚袭击事件情况报告（2008年9月14日）斯里兰卡空军声称击落了一架F-7战机，猛虎组织则声称其飞机安全返回；“无法对双方的说法进行独立核实”。.
- 《星期日泰晤士报》（斯里兰卡）：猛虎组织发动自杀式袭击，但以失败告终（2009年2月22日）两架 Zlin-Z143 型飞机，每架载有 215 公斤 C-4 炸药；一架撞入税务局大楼，一架在卡图纳亚克附近被击落；2 人死亡，58 人受伤。.
- 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：黎明突袭后的紧张局势（2001年7月24日）当日统计：摧毁13架飞机，12名攻击者和4名飞行员丧生。.
- 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.
- 人权观察/亚洲：斯里兰卡（1995年7月，第7卷，第11期）1995 年 7 月 9 日纳瓦利教堂爆炸案；政府军和猛虎组织都犯下了暴行。.
- 联合国：秘书长斯里兰卡问责问题专家小组由秘书长任命的专家组；报告于 2011 年 4 月提交。.
- 联合国人权事务高级专员办事处：对斯里兰卡的调查（OISL）根据人权委员会第 25/1 (2014) 号决议对双方的违规行为进行调查；报告 A/HRC/30/CRP.2，2015 年 9 月。.
- 斯里兰卡空军：第一飞行训练联队飞行训练联队的官方历史：1951 年 9 月 1 日在卡图纳亚克成立，名为第 1 飞行队；1963 年迁至中国湾；1988 年 8 月 11 日迁至阿努拉德普勒；2009 年 1 月 1 日迁回中国湾。.
- 斯里兰卡空军：中国湾学院学院官方网站：中国湾部队和 2026 年周年纪念。.
数据已于 2026 年 9 月 30 日核实。战斗序列页面由单个数据集重新生成；如果此处的数字与《野兽之书》页面不一致，则此页面为两者中较新的页面。.
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