The guardians of our skies have made a significant contribution throughout the Humanitarian Operations, which culminated in 2009. Each of the military branches played their assigned roles. The role and task of the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) is laden with dedication and sacrifice.
It is a daring manifestation of teamwork, courage, people-centric decision-making and responsibility at all levels with the command structure of the SLAF. The fighter pilots and attack helicopter pilots flew many combat missions with precision air strikes and air interdictions. Pilots of Combat Support Operations squadrons delivered food and medicine for the Army and evacuated wounded whilst been guardian angels in distress.
Observation and air surveillance flights gathered vital data to enhance combat operations on the ground. On a humanitarian note, SLAF aircraft flew civilians from conflict areas, and also engaged in the evacuation of those needing medical attention.
Behind the scenes engineering wings serviced and kept all aircraft in a state of round-the-clock operational readiness. Members of the SLAF Regiment, namely the RSF – Regimental Special Force – fought in infantry roles and guarded SLAF bases and other vital SLAF defences. These ground combat troops of the Air Force rendered an important service in support of total Air Operations. Radar plotters monitored the skies for hostile threats. Gunners manned anti-aircraft defence batteries in many areas.
The air defence sector that covered Colombo was a great achievement for the Sri Lanka Air Force, which enabled all other agencies engaged in allied tasks to proceed with a sense of security.
The element of Air Operations began well before the final phase of the Humanitarian Operations. It was a steady and progressive mission that involved the pilots, technical crews and their planes and helicopters. The SLAF steadily enhanced its air power capability, and one pivotal step towards this success is achieving synergy in Air Operations.
During the period from 2006 to 2009 another important strategy was adopting Joint Operations principles that contributed to the success of Humanitarian Operations. In this realm of military activity, the SLAF galvanized the coordination with the Sri Lanka Army and Sri Lanka Navy to achieve the overall national security objectives of the country and assist the civilian population, mainly in the Northern and Eastern Provinces. The UAV (unmanned aerial vehicles) and Beechcraft delivered real time images to ground commanders who were able to make key decisions.
The spectrum of Air Operations also took a paradigm shift with new techniques. For example, the MI-24 gunship squadron adopted a new doctrine and changed their attack profiles which left the enemy bewildered.
I spoke to Air Commodore Channa Dissanayake, a veteran helicopter pilot who flew many combat missions. He is the editor of the Air Force book titled Glory of Iron Wings (which covers 70 years of SLAF air operations). He explained, “We had three types of helicopters, the formidable MI-24 attack helicopters, the MI-17 helicopters which did logistics missions alongside the Bell-212 helicopters which supported the air operations by engaging in the evacuation of injured ground troops.”
“The robust MI-24 could be armed with mission-specific armaments – 80mm rockets, 23mm guns on pods, 30mm cannons and 250 kg rocket bombs. They were stationed at Hingurakgoda, Palaly, Anuradhapura and Vavuniya. The crew consisted of two pilots and two air gunners. In addition to their main role of Close Air Support to the ground troops, one of the strategically important missions carried out by the MI-24s (amongst other varied missions) was providing air cover to the Jetliner vessel operated by the Sri Lanka Navy,” Air Commodore Dissanayake said.
The Jetliner at any given time carried more than a thousand troops and was the lifeline connecting the North with rest of the country.
When flying their combat missions MI-24 pilots of No-9 Squadron verified their targets by communication with the Army on the ground and also by liaising with a Forward Air Controller (an officer of Air Traffic Control Branch). The Forward Air Controller was later paired up with a pilot (on the battleground) on rotation. This combination guided the pilots in the air to engage targets accurately without any collateral damage.
The crews flew night-time missions using infra red cameras that produced IR signatures (thermal images). Air Commodore Dissanayake added, “MI-24s were used to drop Army Commandos and Special Forces teams into dense jungle terrain. The formation for these flights was one Bell 212 helicopter escorted by two MI-24s, with another MI-24 and an Mi-17 helicopter on standby at the nearest Air Force base.” Another remarkable mission of the MI-24 crews was to retrieve the body of slain Lieutenant Colonel Lalith Jayasinghe, recipient of the PWV gallantry medal. This brave Special Forces Army officer was killed in action.
The dependable MI-17 helicopters delivered food and other equipment to Army camps in the Northern Province. Once the main objectives of the Humanitarian Operations were achieved, the helicopters delivered food, sometime all the way from Colombo to the displaced civilians.
Another vital feature of the SLAF was the buildup of air defence networks on the ground to ward off aerial threats of the LTTE. This complex network included fix and mobile radars, anti- aircraft guns and a dedicated group of intelligence officers and airmen. All Sri Lankans are aware of the dedicated role of the fighter jet squadrons that flew the MIG-27, F7BS, F7GS and the Kfirs which dominated the skies. These fighter pilots collectively flew hundreds of sorties and engaged in tactical air interception, air interdiction, and surgical air strikes. Engaging in battlefield air interdiction, they attacked enemy supply lines.
In the Close Air Support role these fighter pilots took an offensive role. When the Army’s ground troops faced challenges such as fortified walls with water-clogged obstacles the fighter jets attacked and created a gap for the infantry and armoured columns to punch through.
The missile-carrying capability of the F-7 jets augmented the SLAF’s firepower. Low-level delivery tactics by the MIG-27 which flew at 900kmph instilled fear into the enemy. The incumbent Air Force Commander Air Marshal Sudarshana Pathirana is a multi-role pilot who has the distinction of flying in every major air operation since the beginning of this prolonged conflict.
The transport squadrons also worked silently behind the scenes. Aircraft such as the Y-12 (No-8 Squadron) airlifted food and other essential supplies. The C-130 Hercules and AN-32 (No-2 Squadron) engaged in many heavy lift missions. The B-200 (Beechcraft) contributed immensely by its aerial observations and surveillance. Many of these flights had relief items for the civilian population. Injured civilians who required treatment were flown to government hospitals for medical care at the end of the Humanitarian Operations.
All the men and women of the SLAF branches contributed immensely to sustain the overall Air Operations. A total of 443 officers and airmen were killed in action, of which 43 are pilots. Another 236 remain disabled from injuries sustained. The Sri Lanka Air Force rose to the occasion and achieved all assigned tasks with professional excellence. It is apt to remember that we must all unite and embrace our Sri Lankan identity and make our nation a land of prosperity.
