Sri Lanka News Updates with Discussions

Ground school (done at Sri Lankan Airlines ) :- USD 5000

20 Hrs simulator hrs :- USD 25,000

Base check :- USD 10,000

So, while political contacts paid some of the money the cost should have been USD 40,000 regardless of how must previous experience they had. So the question is, why is Mihin Lanka demanding USD 60,000 each from a the next batch of Pilots.

This implies a scam perpetrated by SAAS with the connivance of Mihin and by association, none other than Mahinda Rajapakse who cannot deny responsibility for his 'creation'.

Every airline in the world has the right to 'bond' their pilots for an agreed period. Pilot training is not cheap and the airlines have every right to expect certain years of loyalty from their trainees. However, overcharging and taking on 'political appointees', for the responsible post of a commercial airline pilot responsible for the lives of hundreds of must be brought to the attention of the airline travellers of Sri Lanka.

A common fight against piracy brought U.S. and Iranian navy commanders together in a meeting with other participants earlier this month, the Iranian state news agency reported Thursday.

The report revealed the rare meeting only obliquely by relating the attendance of acting Iranian navy chief Admiral Gholam Reza Khaem Bigham at an international anti-piracy meeting earlier this month in Sri Lanka attended by 22 countries, including the United States.



Iran's navy is involved in the international effort to protect shipping against piracy in the Gulf of Aden off Somalia over the past years.

The report did not say whether there were any face-to-face encounters between the two countries' military officials at the conference.

At the meeting, Admiral Bigham said international law against piracy should be tightened, since pirates are often just released after their arrest.

Iran routinely opposes the presence of the U.S. fleet in the Persian Gulf, regarding it as a threat to the country. There have been a number of incidents between the two navies in the crowded waterway.

There are reports, however, that navy personnel of the two countries sometimes exchange friendly words as well as jokes during their occasional contacts during patrols.

Iran's navy had close ties with its American counterpart before the 1979 Islamic Revolution that deposed pro-Western Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.

Before 1979, many Iranian naval officers received training in the U.S., which also supplied much of its equipment.

Jane s reported that Chinese officials quoted US$27 million for a J-10 fighter to Yemeni officials.

A JF-17 costs $15 million.

In the wake of the restoration of civil administration in all parts of the country, the Defence Ministry, in consultation with the three services, police, Civil Defence Force and the recently established Coast Guard, has formulated a comprehensive plan for 2011, which envisages a major role for the Sri Lanka Navy in the post-war era.

The plan has been outlined in the Defence Ministry progress report for 2010 submitted to Parliament this month.

Under a five-year plan, the Defence Ministry intends to set up a naval air station with the involvement of the Air Force as part of the overall strategy to improve maritime surveillance, maintenance of large vessels currently in service, improve and expand the SLN s Research and Development Division, strengthen the Special Boat Squadron and Rapid Action Boat Squadron, installation of day and night surveillance equipment, streamlining intelligence gathering and information exchange processes among ships and SLN headquarters.

During the war, the Research and Development Division played an important role in the overall naval strategy.

In line with the new development plan, the SLN is expected to build small craft and Fast Attack Craft (FAC) of medium size. The Defence Ministry says the SLN should work closely with foreign navies, particularly in the South Asian region, while ensuring effective deep sea patrols to thwart attempts to exploit natural resources in Sri Lankan waters.

The SLN will acquire four Israeli-built vessels to strengthen the FAC squadrons. The four vessels are among six FACs ordered by Sri Lanka. The SLN took delivery of two of the vessels in March and July this year.

The SLN is also expected to acquire its own Chinese-built YLC radar system to counter a possible air threat. During the Eelam War IV, the SLAF acquired Indian and Chinese radar systems to counter threats posed by the Air Tigers. The SLAF installed them at strategic locations taking into consideration SLN s concerns.

The SLN built seven wave rider type craft in the first seven months in 2010 and construction of three similar boats is in progress. During 2010, the SLN installed seven high tech radar systems to enhance coastal security, night vision equipment provided to six SLN vessels.

The SLN is in the process of setting up pre-cast buildings for five main camps and 32 detachments.

Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa recently told The Island that the provision of suitable and sufficient accommodation to security forces was one of the major challenges in the post-war era.

New naval ground infrastructure facilities are also in the pipeline.

Although there has not been any enlistment of officers and men in 2010, the SLN has recruited 100 Regular officers, 2,108 Regular sailors, 32 Volunteer officers, 101 Volunteer sailors and 118 sailors under Volunteer Special Recruitment, according to the Defence Ministry progress report.

In addition, the SLN would also recruit 132 officers to the Regular cadre, 2,209 personnel to Regular/Volunteer cadre and 118 under Volunteer procedure.

The SLA established a directorate for human technology, two Brigade Headquarters (532 and 221) and raised the 24 VIR.

As a goodwill gesture, India is expected to gift some military equipment such as shoulder-fired missiles and radars to Sri Lanka when defence secretary Pradeep Kumar undertakes a two-day visit there from Monday.

The equipment, part of the assistance provided to Sri Lanka to fight Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), is planned to be gifted apparently to demonstrate India's efforts to help build the defence capabilities of the Island nation in the backdrop of Chinese attempts to make inroads there.

India had provided defence hardware including two ground-based radars and a large number of Russian shoulder-fired IGLA ground-to-air missiles to Sri Lanka on a temporary basis, sources said.

India had also lent a coast guard vessel to Sri Lankan Navy during the war but it was not clear whether this would also be gifted.

Some IAF personnel were also deployed there to operate the systems, which were meant only for helping the Sri Lankan armed forces in defending their bases and not for offensive roles, they added.

Kumar, who will hold talks with his counterpart Gotabhaya Rajapakse, is also likely to discuss the future defence requirements of the Sri Lankan armed forces.

The visit comes soon after navy chief admiral Nirmal Verma travelled to Colombo to take part in the 60th anniversary celebrations of the Sri Lankan Navy.

The delegation will include senior officers from the three services and the coast guard and is also likely to discuss ways of increasing service-to-service cooperation between the two countries.

The Diamond Jubilee celebrations of the Navy enabled the country to strengthen its maritime relationship with the foreign navies which participated in the celebrations and brought foreign exchange of about US $ 7 million, Navy Commander Vice Admiral Thisara Samarasinghe said.The visiting foreign sailors travelled around Colombo and some even went to Kandy and brought different kind of goods and items.

Discussion was also held with the Navy Commanders and Representatives from 22 navies about the possibility in the near future to train their sailors in the island and also to share the experience we gained by defeating the terrorists , he said. Six ships representing the navies of Russia, China, India, Bangladesh and Iran called on the port of Colombo to mark the 60th anniversary of the Sri Lanka Navy, Navy Commander Vice Admiral Thisara Samarasinghe said yesterday. A special conference was held on December 8 with the foreign Naval Commanders and officers on maritime security.

They were also taken to China Bay for an inspection tour. Senior Navy Officers visited families of war heroes who made their supreme sacrifice and also disabled war heroes with a special gift package was provided to them to mark the diamond jubilee , he said.

Indian Defence Secretary Pradeep Kumar is due in Sri Lanka to examine the prospects of peacetime cooperation in defence, The Hindu reported yesterday.

Kumar would visit Colombo to initiate defence contacts with a post-LTTE Sri Lanka, The Hindu said,quoting Indian government sources.

'It is important that we have a framework for peacetime relationship. So far we have had a wartime relationship,' the source was quoted as saying.

The Hindu report said: 'The Defence Secretary s visit could also see the beginning of the first annual defence dialogue between the two countries. This mechanism was agreed upon by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa during their summit meeting here in June.

India will find it difficult to offer more courses to the Sri Lankan military officers because their enrolment in the armed forces institutes here is already at an all-time high. There could be some cooperation in replacing Sri Lanka s war reserves that were exhausted while countering the LTTE. There could also be some collaboration in enhancing the maritime domain awareness and capability. One indication of the latter was the recent Colombo visit by the Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Nirmal Verma, although it was billed as a purely ceremonial visit.

'The Defence Secretary will try to ascertain what Sri Lanka wants to do. It can t demobilise 100,000 personnel without causing social unrest. We have to find out whether it wants to enhance its air defence and artillery capabilities. We have to find out in what direction this will lead,' sources said.

Diplomatic sources pointed to the need for temperance when dealing with Sri Lanka, and understanding the context in which it also depends on China. In 2007 and 2008, China and Pakistan were important for Sri Lanka as it depended on them for lethal arms to take on the LTTE after India restrained itself from playing this role. China also overcame its resource constraints and was willing to assist Sri Lanka economically, though this aid had a strategic sub-text. It also has the ability to deliver on the ground, in time and within the promised budget.

'India should not have a knee-jerk reaction. It should take a holistic view. China took up the Hambantota port only because India had declined. In this respect, the Sri Lankans say if you don t want to help us in some aspects, it is all right. But don t resent it, if we approach someone else,' said the sources.

The revival of defence ties will give a fuller content to the overall relationship. New Delhi has committed an assistance of $1.7 billion to Sri Lanka, the highest to any country, and there is little reason why defence should remain outside the ambit of ties.

In late August, top-level security managers from both sides briefly touched on the defence aspect during a meeting here. India was represented by National Security Adviser Shivshankar Menon, Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao and Kumar. The Sri Lankan side had Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga, and Senior Adviser to the President Basil Rajapaksa.'

The Sri Lanka Navy will provide training to Navy personnel from several countries including America, Australia, Pakistan and India.

Navy Commander Vice Admiral Thisara Samarasinghe said yesterday that Navy personnel from 12 countries are due in Sri Lanka to participate in the training programs.

He said Navy personnel who were in Sri Lanka to participate in the Navy s 60th anniversary appreciated the Sri Lankan culture, friendship and valour of the Sri Lankan Forces.

They had also spoken high of the Sri Lankan Forces who had played a major role in defeating terrorism. The Navy Commander said that plans are also under way to send Sri Lankan Navy personnel for training to different countries.