Fuerza Aérea de Sri Lanka
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
Servicio
- Nombre nativo
- 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
- Fundado
- 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
- Parte de
- Sri Lanka Armed ForcesUnder the Ministry of Defence; the President is Commander in Chief
- Sede
- Air Force Headquarters, Sri Jayewardenepura KotteIn the Defence Headquarters Complex at the administrative capital, beside Colombo
- Comandante
- 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
- Lema
- Guardians of the SkyUsed as the title of the air force’s websites in all three languages
Fortaleza
- Personal
- 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
- Aviones de combate
-
- 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
- Transporte y vigilancia
-
- 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
- Helicópteros
-
- 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
- Zapatos de deporte
-
- 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
Infraestructura
- 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
- Bases aéreas principales
-
- 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.
Cuartel General de la Fuerza Aérea
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.
Base de la SLAF en 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.
Base de la SLAF en 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
Cada tipo está sujeto a cargos, vinculado a su página en el Libro de las Bestias, cuando existe. Las cifras corresponden a aeronaves registradas, no a aeronaves disponibles en un día determinado.
| Tipo | Role | En servicio | Desde | Unidades | Notas | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IAI Kfir C2, C7, TC2 and C12En servicio | luchador polivalente | 5 | 1996 | Five in the IAI upgrade to C12 standard: four C2/C7 single-seaters and one TC2 trainer (air force figure).
MásBetween 15 and 16 were bought in all; the Jerusalem Post says 12 in 1996 — see note. |
||
| Chengdu F-7BS, F-7GS and FT-7En servicio | 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 KarakorumEn servicio | Entrenador a reacción avanzado | 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)En servicio | Entrenador básico | 6 | 2018 | Six delivered in May 2018; Wikipedia reports the type grounded after several accidents. | ||
| Cessna 150En servicio | Entrenador principal | 6 | About six (Wikipedia). | |||
| Beechcraft King Air 200, 350 and 360EREn servicio | Vigilancia marítima | 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 228En servicio | Patrulla marítima | 1 | 2022 | One, provided by India. | ||
| Antonov An-32BEn servicio | Transporte | 4 | About four (Wikipedia); three were overhauled in Ukraine and returned in June 2021. | |||
| Harbin Y-12 II and IVEn servicio | Transporte ligero | 10 | About ten (Wikipedia), including two Y-12 IVs received from China on 5 December 2023. | |||
| Lockheed C-130K HérculesEn servicio | Transporte pesado | 2 | Two, awaiting overhaul and in reserve (Wikipedia). In 2025 the air force was discussing two more C-130s. | |||
| Xian MA60En servicio | 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 RangerEn servicio | Helicóptero de entrenamiento | 10 | 2026 | Ten, from US Navy stocks. | ||
| Bell 206 JetRangerEn servicio | Helicóptero de entrenamiento y uso general | 2 | 1971 | About two older 206s (Wikipedia), besides the TH-57s. | ||
| Campana 212En servicio | Utility and gunship helicopter | 4 | 1983 | About four (Wikipedia); 11 bought 1983–85 and nine more later. | ||
| Bell 412 and 412EPEn servicio | VIP and utility helicopter | 8 | 1983 | About eight (Wikipedia). | ||
| Mil Mi-17, Mi-171 y Mi-171ShEn servicio | Helicóptero de transporte | 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 y Mi-35En servicio | Helicóptero de ataque | 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 UAVsEn servicio | Reconnaissance UAV |
Bajo pedido
| Tipo | Ordenado | Primera entrega | Notas | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IAI Kfir C12 (upgrade)Bajo pedido | 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)Bajo pedido | 1 | Wikipedia reports a second Dornier on order from India; not confirmed on an official page. | ||
| Chengdu FT-7 (ex-Pakistan Air Force)Bajo pedido | 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. Las cifras máximas corresponden a las aeronaves puestas en servicio durante toda su vida útil, no al número total de efectivos de la flota en una fecha concreta.
| Tipo | Role | Cima | Servido | Reemplazado por | Notas | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mikoyan MiG-27 y MiG-23UB | Ataque terrestre | 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 | Cuatro. | ||
| Shaanxi Y-8 | Transport and improvised bomber | 2 | 1987–1992 | Two in 1987. | ||
| Shenyang J-5 and FT-5 | Luchador y entrenador | 2 | 1991– | Two J-5s (Wikipedia); No. 5 Squadron reformed with two FT-5 trainers. | ||
| Hawker Siddeley HS 748 | Transporte | 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 | cazabombardero | 6 | 1971– | Five MiG-17Fs and one MiG-15UTI. | ||
| Campana 47G | Helicóptero ligero | 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 | Helicóptero ligero | 2 | 1971– | Dos. | ||
| Hunting Jet Provost T.51 | Entrenador a reacción y ataque ligero | 12 | 1959– | Five, then seven more (Wikipedia). | ||
| De Havilland Vampire | caza a reacción | 1959– | Jet Provost | |||
| de Havilland Dove and Heron | Transporte | |||||
| Boulton Paul Balliol T.2 and Airspeed Oxford | Entrenador avanzado | |||||
| Westland Dragonfly | Helicopter | |||||
| de Havilland Canadá DHC-1 Chipmunk | Entrenador básico | 4 | 1950– | First batch of four; total not confirmed. |
Where the Sri Lanka Air Force flies from
Los marcadores negros indican bases activas, los marcadores huecos, aeródromos que han cerrado. 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 | OACI | Estado | Pista | Unidades y aeronaves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SLAF Academy China BayEastern Province, Trincomalee District | VCCT | Activo | 06/242,397 m |
|
| SLAF Base AnuradhapuraNorth Central Province, Anuradhapura District | VCCA | Activo | 05/231,630 mbetún |
|
| SLAF Base BatticaloaEastern Province, Batticaloa District | VCCB | Activo | 06/241.560 metrosbetún |
|
| SLAF Base HingurakgodaNorth Central Province, Polonnaruwa District | VCCH | Activo | 07/252,287 mbetún |
|
| Base de la SLAF en KatunayakeProvincia Occidental, Distrito de Gampaha | VCBI | Activo | 04/223.350 m |
|
| SLAF Base PalalyNorthern Province, Jaffna District | VCCJ | Activo | 05/231.400 m |
|
| Base de la SLAF en RatmalanaWestern Province, Colombo District | VCCC | Activo |
|
|
| SLAF Base VavuniyaNorthern Province, Vavuniya District | VCCV | Activo | 05/231.524 m |
|
| SLAF KoggalaSouthern Province, Galle District | Activo |
|
||
| SLAF SigiriyaCentral Province, Matale District | Activo |
|
||
| SLAF WeerawilaSouthern Province, Hambantota District | Activo |
|
Ninguna base aérea coincide con esa búsqueda.
Who is stationed where in the Sri Lanka Air Force
Unidades voladoras por base, unidades actuales primero. 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.
- Escuadrón de Caza Nº 10Escuadrón de cazas · activo
- IAI Kfir C2/C7/TC2, en proceso de reconstrucción a C12
- Escuadrón de cazas nº 5Escuadrón de cazas · activo
- Chengdu F-7BS/F-7GS y FT-7, Hongdu K-8 (en los años de la guerra)
- Escuadrón de Transporte Pesado Nº 2Escuadrón de transporte · activo
- Lockheed C-130K Hércules, Dornier 228
- Ala de revisión de aeronavesMaintenance wing · active
- F-7 y otros tipos en revisión
- Escuadrón nº 122007–2019
- Mikoyan MiG-27 y MiG-23UB
- Escuadrón N.º 1 (posteriormente Ala de Entrenamiento de Vuelo N.º 1)1951–1963
- de Havilland Canadá DHC-1 Chipmunk
- Escuadrones de la Real Fuerza Aérea en la base aérea de Negombo.1944–1950
- Varios tipos de la RAF
- No. 1 Flying Training WingAla de entrenamiento de vuelo · activa
- 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 SquadronEscuadrón de radar · activo
- Ground radar
- No. 112 Surveillance SquadronSurveillance squadron · active
- No se especifica
- 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 trainingEntrenamiento en helicóptero · activo
- Bell TH-57C Sea Ranger
- No. 5 Jet Squadron (1971–80)1971–1980
- Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17F, MiG-15UTI
- No. 30 Squadron RAF
- Huracán Hawker
- No. 7 Helicopter SquadronEscuadrón de helicópteros · activo
- 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 SquadronEscuadrón de radar · activo
- 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 se encontró ninguna unidad que coincida con esa búsqueda.
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.
Todas las guerras en las que ha luchado la Fuerza Aérea de Sri Lanka
Salidas y pérdidas donde consta en el registro, y un espacio en blanco honesto donde no.
- La insurrección del JVP de 1971 1971 Resupplied besieged police stations by helicopter and attacked insurgent positions with Jet Provosts
- Guerra de Eelam 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
- Segunda Guerra de Eelam 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
- Tercera Guerra de Eelam 1995–2002 Bombing and close support with Kfirs, MiG-27s, Mi-24s and Pucarás; transport to the besieged Jaffna peninsula
- Guerra de Eelam 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?
¿Qué ocurrió en Katunayake el 24 de julio de 2001?
What did the UN say about civilian deaths at the end of the war?
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Who commands the Sri Lanka Air Force?
Read the aircraft the Sri Lanka Air Force flew
Cada tipo tiene una página en el Libro de las Bestias, primero en servicio y luego por el año en que abandonó la flota.
Todos los datos, verificados
- 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.
- Fuerza Aérea de Sri Lanka: HistoriaLa Real Fuerza Aérea China (RCyAF) nació el 2 de marzo de 1951; los primeros Chipmunks se encargaron en 1950; insurgencia en 1971; se añadieron los Y-12 y Y-8 en 1987; 21.895 horas de vuelo en 1997 a pesar de la pérdida de nueve aeronaves tripuladas.
- 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.
- Fuerza Aérea de Sri Lanka: El Kfir 'Lion Cub' regresa a los cielos tras un exitoso vuelo de prueba después de una larga pausa (11 de junio de 2026).Cuatro Kfir C2/C7 y un TC2 están siendo modernizados al estándar Kfir C12 por IAI; Escuadrón de Caza N° 10, Katunayake; Kfir en servicio desde 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.
- Fuerza Aérea de Sri Lanka: La SLAF incorpora el avión de patrulla marítima Dornier 228 (15 de agosto de 2022)Entregado en el Escuadrón de Transporte Pesado n.º 2, en Katunayake, con la presencia del Alto Comisionado de la India y el Vicejefe del Estado Mayor Naval de la India; mantenido bajo la supervisión de un equipo técnico indio.
- 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.
- Fuerza Aérea de Sri Lanka: La SLAF despliega una unidad de aviación en el marco de una misión de la ONU en la República Centroafricana (septiembre de 2014).Tres helicópteros Mi-17 y 122 efectivos conforman el Escuadrón de Helicópteros n.º 62; despliegue a partir del 15 de septiembre de 2014.
- Fuerza Aérea de Sri Lanka: La Unidad de Aviación de Sri Lanka conmemora 12 años de servicio en la MINUSCA (11 de septiembre de 2026)Primer contingente el 9 de septiembre de 2014; más de 15.700 horas de vuelo; con base en Bria.
- Fuerza Aérea de Sri Lanka: La SLAF concluye con éxito la rotación de helicópteros para la MINUSCA (23 de septiembre de 2026)El helicóptero Mi-17 fue reemplazado por un An-124 proporcionado por la ONU el 17 de septiembre de 2026.
- Fuerza Aérea de Sri Lanka: El C-130 de la SLAF demuestra su eficacia en misiones de reabastecimiento (marzo de 2016)Vuelo de reabastecimiento en avión C-130 a la UNMISS (Sudán del Sur) y a la MINUSCA, del 20 al 24 de marzo de 2016.
- Fuerza Aérea de Sri Lanka: Dos aviones F-7 son recibidos tras su revisión (10 de julio de 2017)Los primeros F-7 fueron revisados en el Centro de Revisión de Aeronaves de Katunayake, creado en 2016 junto con 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): Informe de situación sobre el ataque en Katunayake (29 de julio de 2001)14 aviones Black Tiger; tres Airbus de SriLankan Airlines destruidos y tres dañados.
- Sunday Times (Sri Lanka): Informe de situación sobre el primer ataque aéreo de los LTTE (1 de abril de 2007)Dos aviones Zlin Z-143 bombardearon Katunayake a las 00:45 del 26 de marzo de 2007; tres aviadores murieron y 16 resultaron heridos.
- Sunday Times (Sri Lanka): Informe de situación sobre el ataque en Anuradhapura (28 de octubre de 2007)Lista de aeronaves destruidas en Anuradhapura; el número de atacantes es discutido (21 o 27); las pérdidas superan los 1000 millones de dólares estadounidenses.
- Sunday Times (Sri Lanka): Informe de situación sobre el ataque aéreo contra SP Thamilselvan (4 de noviembre de 2007)Ataque de aviones Kfir y MiG-27 en Kilinochchi el 2 de noviembre de 2007; comunicado de los LTTE que confirma la muerte.
- Sunday Times (Sri Lanka): Informe sobre la situación del ataque en Vavuniya (14 de septiembre de 2008)La SLAF afirma haber derribado un F-7, mientras que los LTTE afirman que su avión regresó sano y salvo; "no es posible realizar una verificación independiente de ambas afirmaciones".
- Sunday Times (Sri Lanka): Los Tigres se lanzan al ataque suicida, pero sus ataques fracasan (22 de febrero de 2009)Dos Zlin-Z143 con 215 kg de C-4 cada uno; uno se estrelló contra el edificio de la Agencia Tributaria, el otro fue derribado cerca de Katunayake; 2 muertos, 58 heridos.
- 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: Tensión tras redada al amanecer (24 de julio de 2001)Balance del mismo día: 13 aeronaves destruidas, 12 atacantes y cuatro aviadores muertos.
- 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: El gobierno da luz verde a la revisión del avión de combate $49m mientras el Escuadrón N.° 10 cumple 25 años (enero de 2021)Cuatro Kfir monoplaza y un avión de entrenamiento; el Escuadrón n.º 10 se formó en 1996; pocos Kfir quedaron operativos después de 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 (julio de 1995, vol. 7, n.º 11)Atentado con bomba contra la iglesia de Navaly el 9 de julio de 1995; abusos cometidos tanto por las fuerzas gubernamentales como por los LTTE.
- Naciones Unidas: Grupo de Expertos del Secretario General sobre la Rendición de Cuentas en Sri LankaPanel designado por el Secretario General; informe presentado en abril de 2011.
- ACNUDH: Investigación sobre Sri Lanka (OISL)Investigación realizada en virtud de la resolución 25/1 (2014) del Consejo de Derechos Humanos sobre las violaciones cometidas por ambas partes; informe A/HRC/30/CRP.2, septiembre de 2015.
- Fuerza Aérea de Sri Lanka: Ala de Entrenamiento de Vuelo N° 1Historia oficial del Ala de Entrenamiento de Vuelo: se formó como el Escuadrón n.° 1 en Katunayake el 1 de septiembre de 1951, se trasladó a China Bay en 1963, a Anuradhapura el 11 de agosto de 1988 y regresó a China Bay el 1 de enero de 2009.
- Sri Lanka Air Force: Academy China BayOfficial Academy site: units at China Bay and 2026 anniversaries.
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