- SLAF de-inducts MPA leased from India
- Plans to acquire more Dornier aircraft unlikely?
- No. 03 Maritime Squadron down to two Beechcraft King Air MPAs donated from Australia and the US
The Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) yesterday (7) held a ‘de-induction’ ceremony for the German-designed, made-in-India Dornier 228 Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA), which was inducted into service in 2022.
The SLAF was not available for comment about the move. However, Spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence Brigadier Franklin Joseph confirmed that the aircraft had been de-inducted by the SLAF. The Indian High Commission in Colombo also confirmed the return of the aircraft to India yesterday.
The aircraft – bearing SLAF registration number SMR-846 – departed Sri Lanka bound for India, with a crew ferrying it across Palk Strait.
With its departure, the SLAF’s capacity for maritime air surveillance and reconnaissance now rests with two Beech King Air aircrafts donated by the United States and Australia. The US-donated B-360ER was outfitted with modern surveillance systems and is a brand-new aircraft, while the Australian Government-donated B-350 was an ex-Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) aircraft, which was refurbished and equipped with similar kit to the US-supplied aircraft.
The Dornier 228, a mainstay of the Indian Navy and Coast Guard’s coastal maritime surveillance fleet was proposed as a ‘fit’ for SLAF’s long-standing gap in maritime air surveillance capacity. According to the Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka, India had offered the aircraft on lease to Sri Lanka following a request made by Colombo. Following a lengthy negotiation process the aircraft, which was at the time in service with the Indian Navy was offered to Sri Lanka, on lease with technical support in the country. The aircraft arrived in Sri Lanka and was inducted into SLAF service on 15 August 2022 and was on a lease for 2 years, which was extended by another year, the Indian Mission in Colombo said. The SLAF had dispatched a number of crew for training on the aircraft to India in 2022 who have completed their training and qualified to fly and maintain the aircraft. The aircraft was stationed at China Bay Air Force Base, home to No. 03 Maritime Squadron, a legacy flying formation which was stood down in the early 1990s, and stood up again in 2019.
It is reliably learnt that, while SMR-846 was used as a stop gap platform and performed maritime surveillance, search and rescue duties, India was negotiating the sale of a ‘new production’ Dornier 228 from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), the State-owned military aviation industry giant, and another aircraft of the same type, which is currently in the Indian inventory. Negotiations were ongoing for the supply of two HAL-built Dornier 228 MPAs to Sri Lanka at cost, with its sensor systems likely to be supplied by Indian defence electronics giant Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL). BEL has in the past supplied Sri Lanka with Air Surveillance radar systems and related air defence targeting systems. The status of the negotiations and the potential sale of two Dornier MPAs is unknown, with many in the defence establishment not willing to comment on it. Meanwhile, a senior source close to the matter told The Daily Morning, on terms of anonymity, that further acquisition of the same platform from India is unlikely.
Earlier this year, Sri Lanka signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with India on defence cooperation between the two Indian Ocean neighbours during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s official visit to Colombo. Since there is no clarity on what the MOU includes, it remains uncertain if the plans to supply Sri Lanka with maritime surveillance capabilities from India are part of the memorandum.