India || 70th Anniversary of Sri Lanka Air Force

Description

Context: With the participation of the Indian Air Force Chief and 23 aircraft in the three-day event in Colombo to mark the 70th anniversary of the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF), India sought to reaffirm its strong defence cooperation with Sri Lanka.

Details:

A team of 4 Sarang Advance Light Helicopters, Surya Kiran (Hawks), Tejas Fighter Aircraft, Tejas Trainer and the Dornier Maritime Patrol Aircraft from India were in Sri Lanka to participate in a fly past and acrobatic display event with the SLAF, held by Colombo’s seafront.

Background:

During Sri Lanka’s over three decade-civil war, India has played a crucial role, politically and at times, using its military.
While the controversial Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) presence here, and ‘Operation Poomalai’ of 1987 — when the Indian Air Force dropped food supplies in Jaffna — drew criticism from sections, the Indian military’s support has been repeatedly acknowledged by Sri Lanka’s national leaders.
In Sri Lanka’s post-war era, the Indo-Lanka military partnership has focused mostly on training and capacity building.
About 1,200 Sri Lankan military personnel are trained in India every year.
Last year, Indian Navy and Coast Guard personnel helped the Sri Lankan Navy in a crucial fire-fighting operation, when an oil tanker went up in flames, off the island’s east coast.
Further, Sri Lanka’s strategic location makes it a crucial partner for all countries in the region.
Pakistan’s Air Chief Marshal Mujahid Anwar Khan was also in Sri Lanka to attend the 70th year celebrations.