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US transfers Beechcraft King Air 360ER to SLAF (Pics)
At a ceremony held today (Oct. 10) at Sri Lanka Air Force Base Katunayake, U.S. Navy Admiral Steve Koehler, commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet, officially handed over a Beechcraft King Air 360ER aircraft, gifted by the United States, to the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF).
The event, attended by U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung, Secretary to the Ministry of Defense Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha (Retd), and Commander of the Sri Lanka Air Force Air Marshal Udeni Rajapaksa, marked the handover of this advanced aircraft – a symbol of the enduring U.S.-Sri Lanka partnership and a crucial step in strengthening Sri Lanka’s maritime security and sovereignty.
Equipped with cutting-edge surveillance technology, the King Air will strengthen Sri Lanka’s ability to patrol its waters, counter maritime threats, and secure vital trade routes in the Indian Ocean.
U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung emphasized the importance of the King Air aircraft, highlighting it as a testament to the strong U.S.-Sri Lanka partnership and Sri Lanka’s role in ensuring peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region: “As partners, the United States shares Sri Lanka’s vision that security is a collective responsibility, as our seas connect us. Maritime domain awareness is crucial to safeguarding Sri Lanka’s maritime trade routes, which are the lifeblood of its economy. While the oceans are rich in economic opportunities, they are also vulnerable to significant threats — from illegal fishing to smuggling, human trafficking, and other illegal, coercive, and deceitful activities. It is my hope that this Beechcraft King Air will serve as a constant guardian of your nation’s peace and prosperity, always vigilant in defending what is rightfully yours.”
Air Marshal Udeni Rajapaksa, Commander of the Sri Lanka Air Force, welcomed the Beechcraft King Air 360ER aircraft as a significant milestone of the longstanding partnership between Sri Lanka and the United States. “The induction of the Beechcraft King Air 360ER aircraft is one of the instrumental steps in augmenting the Air Force’s airpower for maritime domain awareness,” he stated. “This substantiates our enhanced focus on ensuring maritime security and broadening HADR capabilities in the Indian Ocean Region as a responsible and key stakeholder nation. Further, this advanced ISR platform will be the latest addition to the ongoing efforts of fostering collective security and interoperability to face the threats in the air and maritime domains and curb transnational crime in our region. We look forward to playing a greater role in the regional maritime domain awareness, particularly in maritime surveillance, monitoring and patrolling whilst fulfilling our obligations to regional peace and security.”
Admiral Steve Koehler reaffirmed U.S. commitment to regional security and partnership with Sri Lanka, stating: “Today’s ceremony is about much more than one aircraft, it’s about our two nation’s commitment to protecting sovereignty and addressing complex maritime challenges together in the Indian Ocean. I look forward to strengthening our partnership and advancing a shared vision for peace and stability by upholding the rules based international order.”
The King Air, funded by the U.S. Department of Defense’s Building Partner Capacity program, was manufactured by Beechcraft Textron Aviation and completed in 2022, with maritime surveillance upgrades added in 2024. Sri Lanka Air Force personnel received specialized training in Kansas and Florida to operate the aircraft, and further training will be conducted by U.S. government personnel over the next three months. The King Air 360ER will undergo final preparations at the Ratmalana Air Force Base before joining Maritime Patrol Squadron 3 in China Bay, Trincomalee.
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China donates 05 dragon boats to Sri Lanka (Pics)
The Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka has donated five 12-person international-standard dragon boats to the Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
The donation was formally made on May 31 at the 2025 Dragon Boat Festival China-Sri Lanka Friendship Cup Dragon Boat Championship.
The championship was held at the Diyawanna Oya Amateur Rowing Association of Sri Lanka (ARASL) Rowing Center. Participants included school teams, university crews, clubs, members of the tri-forces, as well as Chinese teams. It was notable that the event also featured 05 teams from Jaffna.
The regatta was hosted by Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka and the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports of Sri Lanka, and co-organized by National Association for Canoeing and Kayaking in Sri Lanka, CICT (Colombo International Container Terminals Ltd.), Sri Lanka Overseas Chinese Association and Chinese Chamber Of Commerce In Sri Lanka.
Expressing gratitude for the donation, Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports – S.K. Gamage said, “This is not merely a sports event, it is a powerful symbol of friendship, culture, and cooperation between our two nations.”
Meanwhile, Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka – Mr. Qi Zhenhong said the championship was “a new starting point to further deepen sports and cultural exchanges between China and Sri Lanka and to enhance mutual understanding and friendship between our peoples.”
Rear Admiral HNS Perera, President of the National Association for Canoeing and Kayaking in Sri Lanka, described the event as a bridge between tradition and modernity.
Sri Lanka Navy and Visakha Vidyalaya powered their way to victory by clinching the top honours in the Men’s and Women’s Open Championships. Visakha Vidyalaya also grabbed the top spot in the Junior Girls’ final.
The Junior Boys’ final saw Thambaddy GTMV from Jaffna winning the gold medal, ahead of J/Delft M.V and D.S. Senanayake College Colombo.
In the Masters Women’s race, Ceylong team took top spot, while Wave Breakers and Pink Dragon followed closely.
The University of Sabaragamuwa won the Mixed Category final, pushing Chinese Team 03 and Chinese Team 01 to second and third places.
(Pics : Shanika Jayasekara)
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SL Parliamentary delegation’s orientation programme in India, ends (Pics)
A Parliamentary delegation from Sri Lanka, led by Deputy Speaker Hon. Dr. Rizvie Salih visited India from 25-31 May 2025. The delegation comprised 20 Members of Parliament (MP) representing various political parties and 4 officials of the Sri Lankan Parliament, including the Secretary General.
The delegation was the inaugural batch to undergo Orientation Programme at India’s Parliamentary Research and Training Institute for Democracies (PRIDE) in New Delhi. This is pursuant to the announcement made by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi during his recent visit to Sri Lanka in April 2025, offering 700 customised training slots annually for Sri Lankan professionals.
The visiting delegation called on the Speaker of Lok Sabha, Shri Om Birla. Underscoring the historical friendship between India and Sri Lanka, the Speaker thanked the Sri Lankan Parliamentary Delegation for expressing its solidarity with India’s fight against terrorism. External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar also received the delegation and reiterated India’s commitment to Sri Lanka’s development and progress under the ‘Neighbourhood First’ Policy and ‘MAHASAGAR’ vision.
Deputy Speaker Dr. Rizvie Salih and other distinguished delegates from Sri Lanka thanked the Government of India for the unconditional assistance rendered to Sri Lanka over decades. They also sought deeper and closer collaboration with India in several spheres, including Parliamentary exchanges, trade, technology and tourism.
Under the Orientation Programme, the delegation had interactive sessions on legislative and budgetary processes, system of Parliamentary Committees and other related matters between the two democracies. Several senior MPs, Parliamentary officials, Media persons shared insights on the Indian Polity with the Sri Lankan delegation. While in India, participants also had the opportunity to experience the transformation underway in the Indian economy, particularly on the Digital Public Infrastructure & urban mobility through visits to Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), Delhi Metro Railway Corporation and DLF IT Park. The delegation also had first-hand experience of the ongoing R&D projects in the realm of energy sector at IIT Delhi.
As part of the cultural immersion, the delegation visited the UNESCO World Heritage Site Taj Mahal, Agra and also enjoyed the Sound & Light Show on History of India at Red Fort, New Delhi.
It may be recalled that re-establishment of India-Sri Lanka Parliamentary Friendship Association in the Sri Lankan Parliament in early May 2025 witnessed the participation of scores of MPs across party lines. The visit as well as the strong turnout at the above events are symbolic of the democratic values and traditions that bind the people of the two countries.
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Jim Brown Nagar model village handed over to beneficiaries (Pics)
On 26 May 2025, High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka – Santosh Jha and Deputy Minister of Urban Development, Construction and Housing – T. B. Sarath, jointly inaugurated and handed over Jim Brown Nagar Model Village in Mannar to the 24 beneficiary families.
The event was also attended by MP Mayilvaganam Jegatheeswaran – Mr. Ranjith Ariyarathne Secretary, Ministry of Urban Development, Construction and Housing; District Secretary, Mannar; Chairman and senior officials from National Housing Development Authority, and senior officials from the Ministry of Urban Development, Construction and Housing of Sri Lanka; Northern Provincial Council and Mannar District Administration.
The Model Village Housing Project is being implemented in all 25 districts of the island jointly with the Ministry of Urban Development, Construction and Housing of Sri Lanka with grant support from the Government of India. A Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of India and the Government of Sri Lanka was signed for the project in October 2017. The project encompasses housing facilities for 600 low-income families of Sri Lanka, with a model village each consisting of 24 houses per district for families selected by the District Housing Committees.
Model villages under the project have earlier been inaugurated and handed over in 13 districts: Batticaloa, Vavuniya, Jaffna, Kandy, Gampaha, Anuradhapura, Badulla, Matale, Puttalam, Colombo, Trincomalee, Monaragala and Kilinochchi. The project progress is over 97% and the remaining model villages too are expected to be inaugurated and handed over to the beneficiaries soon.
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