Sri Lanka News Updates with Discussions

Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) sources say that it has no intention of replacing the destroyed two Kfirs in its aircraft fleet.

Sources said that the SLAF has adequate fighter and transport aircraft in its fleet. The end of war against the Tamil Tigers has also minimized the needs of fighter planes for the SLAF.

SLAF used Kfirs purchased from Israel to combat the Tamil Tigers in the last phases of the war.

Two Kfirs last week clashed during a rehearsal in mid-air killing one pilot and completely destroying the two aircraft.

Flight Lieutenant Monath Perera succumbed to his injuries as a result of the crash while Squadron Leader Vajira Jayakody who piloted the other Kfir received minor injuries.

Commander of the Air Force, Air Marshal Harsha Abeywickrama has appointed a Board of Investigation headed by Air Vice Marshal Kapila Jayampathi to look into the causes of the accident.

The SLAF team is now probing the crash and the report is to be submitted to the Air Force Commander within a couple of weeks.

The high level Pakistan Army delegation led by Pakistan Inspector General of Training and Evaluation Lt General Muzammil Hussain which is currently visiting Sri Lanka called on Army Commander Lt Gen Jagath Jayasuriya.

During the meeting the two discussed various bilateral issues. Army Commander Lt Gen Jagath Jayasuriya expressed his deepest appreciation to the Pakistani Army for its unconditional assistance throughout its operations against the LTTE.

He also thanked Lt General Muzammil Hussain for the large number of Training opportunities offered to the Sri Lankan Army by the Government of Pakistan. Lt Gen Jayasuriya also desired additional training opportunities for the Sri Lankan Army in the field of advanced and higher leadership.

During Staff level Conferences all the Principal Staff Officers of Sri Lanka Army Commander had detailed discussions with the Pakistani Army delegation on operational training and other important bilateral matters.

The Conference was jointly chaired by Chief of Staff of Sri Lanka Army Major General Daya Ratnayake and Lt General Muzammil Hussain.

Lt Gen Hussain also visited Sri Lanka Defence Services Command and Staff College and held in depth discussions with the Commandant of Staff College and the faculty members.

He also visited the Sri Lanka Military Academy at Diyatalawa and some other special training schools where detailed interactions took place between the Pakistan Army delegation and their Sri Lankan counterparts.

This is the highest defence related visit from Pakistan after the Chief of Staff of Pakistan Army visited Sri Lanka in January this year. This visit is expected to further enhance defence cooperation and relations between Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in its news service has raised a big hue and cry over the reported demolition of a LTTE graveyard in Sri Lanka s North.

A BBC report claimed that there was sharp criticism over the demolition of the graveyard and the construction of a Military Camp on that site. It also quoted experts stating that the LTTE s such large graveyards was a part of a cult of martyrdom. We do not know how the BBC assess terrorists as martyrs.

The BBC report further quotes Tamil Nationalists criticism over the demolition of the LTTE graveyards, adding that a former Member of Parliament, M P Sivajilingam claiming that 2000 bodies of LTTE cadres had been buried there.

Sri Lanka is a democracy that recognizes legitimate Armed Forces of all countries. If the BBC visit the General Cemetery in Colombo and war cemeteries in Kandy and Trincomalee, it could witness the special graveyards with memorial stones of British soldiers killed in World War II. These plots of land have and are being well looked after by the Government of Sri Lanka giving due honour to the soldiers of the British Army, who laid down their lives when the World went to war in 1939.

Sri Lanka has a proud history. Even the tomb of King Elara who died at the hands of King Dutugemunu is still respected. Slain LTTE leader V Prabhakaran s parents sought refuge at the hands of the Sri Lanka military. They were allowed to live peacefully until they died. They were afforded funerals with dignity and respect despite being parents of a brutal terrorist leader.

The LTTE is a ruthless terrorist organization banned even in the United Kingdom. A terrorist organization cannot have legitimate cemeteries on the soil of a sovereign state. The British Broadcasting Corporation should understand this bare fact. The LTTE was not the sole representative of the Tamils in Sri Lanka. We do not know how the BBC came across Tamil Nationalists to claim the reported criticism on the BBC report.

The Government of Sri Lanka reserves the prerogative and the legitimate right to build Military camps on any part of the land of the nation. Illegal cemeteries are not allowed in any part of the territory in Sri Lanka. There is an absolute necessity to bury memories the treacherous LTTE terrorist group in the interests of the future of all Tamils and the generations to come. No remnant of terrorism should be left to observe as it would affect the psychology of the Tamil youth of today and tomorrow.

Military Chief, Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasuriya had correctly told the BBC that the Army which respected with democratic rights of all people, accordingly vacated the Subhash Hotel in Jaffna occupied during the war and moved to a building on a land owned by the Prisons Department.

The statement of the Army Commander to the BBC makes it crystal clear that the LTTE had put up a graveyard on a land owned by the state. Therefore, the Government had all the right to demolish this unauthorized illegal cemetery to establish a legitimate Army Camp in that premises.

The BBC report quoting no authority, accuses the Government of Sri Lanka of having demolished the ancestral home of the slain LTTE Leader Velupillai Prabhakaran. This statement of the BBC is far from the truth. Prabhakaran s ancestral home was damaged and brought to ground during the war period when the two sides resorted to heavy gun fire aimed at each other. During that period a replica of the ship that sunk with LTTE s Kittu, located at that junction was also destroyed in the exchange of heavy gunfire. All that was much before the final war.

The BBC report states that the Government has built several memorials to the fallen Government soldiers. The British Broadcasting Corporation certainly should be aware that every legitimate Government in this world is bound to pay tribute to gallant men who have laid down their lives for the country by building memorials to remember them.

The BBC says the policy of the Government is to wipe off any trace of the LTTE to ensure that terrorist violence is forgotten. Let us tell the BBC that the Government of Sri Lanka did not only implement that policy but also enjoys such right in the interest of its nation and the people.

US Ambassador Patricia Butenis reiterated US support for Sri Lanka's ongoing post-conflict development process and discussed strengthening relations between the two countries on trade and aviation, when she met President Mahinda Rajapaksa Yesterday (8) at Janadhipathi Mandiraya.

On the sunny Tuesday morning last week, military airport base at Katunayake was bustling with activitiy. Reason: The following day (March 2) would mark the 60th anniversary of the Sri Lanka Air force, the youngest arm of the Sri Lankan defence forces, which was founded as Royal Ceylon Air Force in 1951

A host of celebrations were on the cards to mark the occasion. One of the most sought after events was the fly past in which the fleet of SLAF aircraft would fly in a variety of flight formations in a display of its grandeur and military might. A rehearsal drill for fly past had been scheduled for Tuesday morning.

Combat air craft squadrons of the SLAF have, to a certain extent, have become redundant in recent times, since the end of the war.

Absence of combat missions

Flying hours of fighter jets and ground attack craft of the SLAF have gradually come down in the absence of combat missions. But, on Tuesday, a whole fleet of Chinese built F7 jets, Israeli built Kfir ground attack craft and Soviet era MIG 27s were at the tarmac, ready to take off.

First to take wing was Squadron Leader Vajira Weerakkody aboard his Kfir ground attack craft. Ten seconds later Flight Lieutenant Monath Iresh Perera followed suit, also aboard a Kfir ground attack craft.

Five Kfir jets were scheduled to take part in the rehearsal drill. Heading to Ratmalana, the venue of the 60th anniversary celebrations, they flew in a flight formation which had three jets flying at high altitude while the two others steered by Squadron Leader Weerakkody and Flight Lieutenant Perera flew at low altitude.

No. 10 fighter squadron of Sri Lanka Air force, which deployed 14 Kfir aircraft (before the Tuesday s crash) was inaugurated in 1996 with five Israeli Aircraft Industries built C 2 type Kfirs and one trainer aircraft. In the year 2000, eight more jets were added to the No. 10 fighter jet squadron, which played a key role in the Eelam war and was credited with the air attack which killed LTTE political leader S.P.Thamilselvan.

On Tuesday, after the take off of Kfirs, three F 7 fighter jets of the No.5 Jet squadron took to the air, followed by three MIG 27 ground attack craft of the No. 12 Squadron.

At the end, there were forty aircraft in the air, taking part in the rehearsal drill. They were instructed to remain at 8000 feet altitude over Kurunegala, until granted permission to proceed to Ratmalana Airport.

One of the MIG 27 pilots, Squadron Leader Indika Premadasa was tailing the two Kfirs. A few minutes after his take off, he messaged to the air traffic control room of the Katunayake Military Air base that he observed two Kfirs had their wings collide against each other above Weerangula, Gampaha.

He reported about two fire balls emerging from the two aircraft and that he saw a pilot ejecting from the flight.
Witnesses in Gampaha told the media that they saw five jets in the air, of which two flew at a low altitude. One villager said he saw the two pilots being thrown into the air after the two jets crashed and were engulfed in a fire ball.

One woman said one pilot landed safely on a paddy field with his parachute and the other crashed on the ground like a ball , with his parachute unopened.

She said one pilot after being thrown onto the ground, stood up on his legs and asked for a glass of water, which villagers readily gave him. Squadron Leader Vajira Weerakkody ejected safely with the aid of the parachute attached to the pilot seat and was later admitted to the Air Force hospital.

Flight Lieutenant Monath Perera was killed in the crash. His parachute had apparently malfunctioned. His funeral was held in his home town Galle, yesterday. He was posthumously promoted to the rank of Squadron Leader.

Mid-air heart attack

Negombo Judicial Medical Officer Dr Channa Perera who conducted the post mortem of the death of 28 year-old Flight Lieutenant Perera had concluded that the pilot had suffered a mid- air heart attack which saw him losing the control of the aircraft and colliding with the other aircraft.

After the crash, SLAF grounded its fleet of Kfirs until the conclusion of an internal inquiry ordered by the newly appointed Air Force Commander, Air Marshal Harsha Abeywickrama. The air force Commander has appointed a five member committee headed by Air Vice Marshal Kapila Jayampathi to investigate the crash.

Alas, the No. 10 fighter squadron which made the backbone of SLAF during the Eelam war missed the fly past.

The report on the crash is expected to be presented to Air Force commander in three weeks.

The SLAF has also requested witnesses to come forward to give evidence about the crash.

They can contact the Air Force on 0777 269 651 to share information.

The crash happened days after the new Commander of Air Force Air Marshal Abeywickrama assumed duties last week. The Air Marshal was instrumental in the formation of the First Supersonic Fighter Squadron (F7) of the Sri Lanka Air Force. He is also one of the first pilots of the SLAF to fly F 7 and Kfir jets which were inducted to the Sri Lanka Air Force in 1991 and 1996.

The outgoing Commander of Air Force, Air Chief Marshal Roshan Goonetilleke was granted a two- year extension in the post of Chief of Defence Staff, which he had been holding concurrently until last week.

Sri Lanka plans to buy new high frequency transmitters to replace the 24 year old transmitters that are being currently used for the communication at the Colombo regional air traffic control center at Ratmalana Airport.

The Cabinet approved a tender for US$ 708,725 to purchase the equipment which will have a local cost amounting to 17.66 million rupees.

Minister of Civil Aviation Piyankara Jayaratne has submitted the proposal in this regard.

Under the project three of the 24 year old transmitters will be replaced to enhance performance and reliability of the high frequency communication between ground and flying aircraft within Colombo flight indication region (FIR).

There is an increasing interest among corporates to commence domestic airlines as the demand and infrastructure developments are taking place on a rapid pace. Senok Aviation (Pvt) Limited has received the approval from Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to import two brand new Eurocopter AS350-B3.

The construction of the hangar will be completed in the near future. Thus, the company expects to commence the helicopter operations by June or July.

Speaking to Daily News Business Senok Aviation (Pvt) Limited CEO Keerthi Dissanayake said the company is now expecting the Air Operator Certificate (AOC) to commence operations by June once the hangar facility inspections are up to the standards of CAA.

Previously the company s idea was to commence a passenger aircraft facility within the country, but since the domestic airports were on the development stages the company selected helicopters as the starter. Another reason Senok chose helicopter facility was that it has the ability to land on any surface easily compared to passenger aircraft, he said.

It is important that the country build and upgrade the existing airports as, there are many which expect to enter domestic airline operating industry.

At this stage Senok Aviation also thought of entering the industry with the helicopters as there is an impressive demand from the corporates and investors.

With the sound economic environment and tourism industry thriving in the country the demand for domestic airlines especially from investors and tourists will increase significantly.

This corporate segment is very time conscious when it comes to travelling and capturing these high end markets is essential for Senok Aviation as a debuting industrialist, Dissanayake said.

The company is keen on commencing passenger aircraft facility once the airports are upgraded, he said.

The CAA has received another six applications for aeroplanes and five applications for helicopter operations within the country in mid January.

Apart from Senok Aviation there is another helicopter applicant and an aeroplane applicant that indicates progress in commencing domestic airlines, a CAA senior official said.

At the moment Deccan Aviation, Cosmos and the Sri Lanka Air Force run domestic air services in the country.

SriLankan, the island s state-run national carrier operates a float plane service.