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No. 9 Squadron SLAF
No. 9 "Attack Helicopter" Squadron is a Squadron (aviation), squadron of the Sri Lanka Air Force. It currently operates the air force's fleet of Attack Helicopter of Mil Mi-24s, Mil Mi-24, Mil Mi-35s and Mi-17Sh s from SLAF Hingurakgoda for Close Air Support. The squadron is tasked with close air support/battlefield air interdiction, air interdiction, maritime air operations, armed escort missions and air defence operations. In March 2009, the squadron was presented with the Colours, standards and guidons, President's Colours. History On the onset of the Eelam War III, third phase of the Sri Lankan Civil War, the LTTE introduced Man-portable air-defense system, MANPADS, specifically the FIM-92 Stinger, shooting down several fixed wing aircraft of the Sri Lanka Air Force. This new threat limited the use of its FMA IA 58 Pucarás for Close Air Support. The Government of Sri Lanka approved the acquisition of the Mil Mi-24 from Ukraine and three airframes reached Sri Lanka in Novemb ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Close Air Support
Close air support (CAS) is defined as aerial warfare actions—often air-to-ground actions such as strafes or airstrikes—by military aircraft against hostile targets in close proximity to friendly forces. A form of fire support, CAS requires detailed integration of each air mission with fire and movement of all forces involved. CAS may be conducted using aerial bombs, glide bombs, missiles, rockets, autocannons, machine guns, and even directed-energy weapons such as lasers.''Close Air Support''. United States Department of Defense, 2014. The requirement for detailed integration because of proximity, fires or movement is the determining factor. CAS may need to be conducted during shaping operations with special forces if the mission requires detailed integration with the fire and movement of those forces. A closely related subset of air interdiction, battlefield air interdiction, denotes interdiction against units with near-term effects on friendly units, but which does not ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
FMA IA 58 Pucará
The FMA IA 58 Pucará () is an Argentine ground-attack and counter-insurgency (COIN) aircraft manufactured by the Fábrica Militar de Aviones. It is a low-wing twin-turboprop all-metal monoplane with retractable landing gear, capable of operating from unprepared strips when operationally required. The type saw action during the Falklands War and the Sri Lankan Civil War. Development In August 1966 the Argentine state aircraft factory, Dirección Nacional de Fabricación e Investigación Aeronáutica (DINFIA), began development of the AX-2, a Counter-insurgency (COIN) aircraft to meet a requirement of the Argentine Air Force. The project was promoted by engineer Ricardo Olmedo and became under the guidance of engineer Aníbal Dreidemie, who also designed the IA-52 Guaraní II and the IA-63 Pampa. The chosen layout was a low-wing monoplane powered by two turboprop engines mounted in wing-mounted nacelles and fitted with a T-tail. In order to test the proposed layout, DINFIA ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gemunu Watch
The Gemunu Watch (GW) ("King Dutugemunu's Own") is a infantry regiment of the Sri Lanka Army, formed with troops from the Sri Lanka Light Infantry, Ceylon Light Infantry and the Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment, Ceylon Sinha Regiment in 1962. It has been deployed in many major operations against the LTTE. It is made up of 14 regular units and 9 Military reserve force, volunteer units. Headquartered at Kuruwita Army Camp, Ratnapura. It is named after one of the most famous Lankan Kings, King Dutugemunu. History The roots of the Gemunu Watch can be traced to the Volunteer Force, volunteer formations of the British Empire and the formation of the Ceylon Infantry Regiment by a Gazette notification on 1 April 1881. Later, in order to encourage the concept of volunteering, the volunteer force was expanded to include units at the district level. Accordingly, two Volunteer Detachments were set up in Galle and Matara in the old Dutch forts. Thereafter, the Ceylon Defence Force was established un ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Eelam War IV
Eelam War IV is the name given to the fourth and final phase of armed conflict between the Sri Lankan military and the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Renewed hostilities began on the 26 July 2006, when Sri Lanka Air Force fighter jets bombed several LTTE camps around Mavil Aru anicut. The government's ''casus belli'' was that the LTTE had cut off the water supply to surrounding paddy fields in the area. Shutting down the sluice gates of the Mavil Aru on July 21 depriving the water to over 15,000 people - Sinhalese and Muslim settlers under Sri Lankan state-sponsored colonisation schemes in Trincomalee district. They were denied of water for drinking and also cultivating over 30,000 acres of paddy and other crops. The fighting resumed after a four-year ceasefire between the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) and LTTE. Continued fighting led to several territorial gains for the Sri Lankan Army, including the capture of Sampur, Vakarai and other parts of the e ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Raid On Anuradhapura Air Force Base
The Raid on Anuradhapura Air Force Base, code-named Operation Ellaalan, was a commando raid conducted on SLAF Anuradhapura an Air Force Base in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. The attack happened on 22 October 2007. At 3:15 AM a group of 21 LTTE commandos, most of them Black Tigers, who are known to be suicide bombers, attacked the air base. Shortly after the attack started the Tigers were supported by two light aircraft from the Air Tigers which conducted a bombing run on the base and escaped undamaged. Ten military personnel, including 2 Air Force officers, were killed in the attack and 22 were wounded. It was confirmed that 20 of the 21 commandos were killed. An Air Force Bell 212 helicopter gunship was destroyed by friendly fire. It had been sent to the base to provide help and crashed near the base during the clashes killing four crew members. Initially, it was reported that only three aircraft were destroyed and one crashed. However, the P ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bandaranaike Airport Attack
The Bandaranaike International Airport attack was a suicide raid Black Tigers of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on 24 July 2001 on the Sri Lanka Air Force base SLAF Katunayake and the adjoining Bandaranaike International Airport in Katunayake, Sri Lanka. The attack was one of the boldest the LTTE mounted during its war with the Sri Lankan government, and had a profound impact on the country's military, economy, and airline industry. Background At the time in 2001, Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) was the sole airport in the island that operated international flights and served as the home port of the national carrier SriLankan Airlines with its fleet of aircraft being serviced and operated from its facilities. It served as the primary airport for commercial air cargo flights to the island. SLAF Katunayake is the largest air base of the Sri Lanka Air Force with two lodger flying squadrons, the No. 10 "Fighter" Squadron and the No. 4 Helicopter Squadron were ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Parama Weera Vibhushanaya
__NOTOC__ The Parama Weera Vibhushanaya (PWV) ( Sinhala: පරම වීර වීභූෂණය ''parama vīra vibhūṣaṇaya''; Tamil: பரம வீர விபுஷனைய) is Sri Lanka's highest military decoration, awarded for acts of exceptional valour in wartime. Parama Weera Vibhushanaya translates as the "Order of the Supreme Valour", and the award is granted for "individual acts of gallantry and conspicuous bravery of the most exceptional order in the face of the enemy". Corporal Gamini Kularatne, was the first recipient. , the medal has been awarded 31 times, of which all were posthumous and arose from actions in the Sri Lankan Civil War. Of the 31 awardees, 28 have been from the Sri Lanka Army, two have been from the Sri Lanka Navy and one has been from the Sri Lanka Air Force. Ceylon used the British awards system and continued post-independence until 1956, when British imperial honours were suspended. New awards were instituted in 1981. PWV is equivale ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sea Tiger
The Sea Tigers (Tamil: கடற்புலிகள் ''Kaţaṛpulikaḷ'') was the naval wing of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) during the Sri Lankan Civil War. It was founded in 1984. The Sea Tigers had a number of small but effective suicide bomber vessels. During its existence it had gained a reputation as a capable adversary for the Sri Lankan Navy. During the civil war, the Sea Tigers had sunk at least 29 Sri Lankan small inshore patrol boats, 20 Dvora-class fast patrol boats, 3 gunboats, 2 large surveillance command ships, and one freighter. The Sea Tigers were led by Soosai, with their main base at Mullaitivu, on the north-eastern coast of Sri Lanka. Their last base was taken when the Sri Lanka Army captured Chalai in Mullaitivu in February 2009. Background The LTTE was dominated by members with its leader Velupillai Prabhakaran being a Melongi Karaiyar. This caste were traditional fishermen living in the northern and eastern coastal areas of th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tyronne Silvapulle
Wing Commander Tyron D. S. Silvapulle, PWV, RWP, RSP (also referred to as Tyrone Silvapulle, 22 July 1966 – 17 December 1999) was a Sri Lankan attack helicopter pilot. He distinguished himself as a capable helicopter pilot in the Sri Lanka Air Force during the Sri Lankan Civil War. Silvapulle was killed in action in northern Sri Lanka, and posthumously awarded the Parama Weera Vibhushanaya, the country's highest military award for gallantry. To date, he is the first and only recipient of the award from the Sri Lanka Air Force. Early life and SLAF career Silvapulle was a Sri Lankan Chetty and was educated at St. Joseph's College, Colombo. Silvapulle joined in the air force on 18 May 1986 in the Officer Cadet Intake 16 and was commissioned as a Pilot Officer in the General Duties Pilot Branch with the enlistment number 01502. He served as a helicopter pilot in the No. 4 Squadron flying Bell 212 and Mil Mi-17 transport helicopters, before he was assigned to the No. 9 Attack H ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kokilai
Kokkilai or Kokilai or Kokkulaay ( Kokkuḷāy Sinhalese: කෝකිලායි) is a town in the Mullaitivu District, Sri Lanka. It is located about 40 km south-east of the District capital Mullaitivu. It is a coastal town, located next to Kokkilai lagoon, it is also close to Trincomalee District Trincomalee District ( ; ) is one of the 25 Districts of Sri Lanka, districts of Sri Lanka, the second level administrative division of the country. The district is administered by a District Secretariat headed by a Government Agent (Sri Lanka), D ... border. See also * 1984 Kokkilai massacres (army) * 1984 Kokkilai massacre (LTTE) * 1985 Kokkilai Offensive {{NorthernLK-geo-stub Towns in Mullaitivu District Maritimepattu DS Division ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Operation Jayasikuru
Operation Jayasikurui (''Certain Victory'' in Sinhala), was a Sri Lankan military operation launched on 13 May 1997, it lasted until 1999, when it was called off. The operation was initially launched for 6 months but cancelled after 18 months as Sri Lankan government faced huge loss. It was the largest military operation undertaken by the armed forces at the time. The primary objective of this operation was to clear a land route to the government-held Jaffna peninsula (which had no land supply routes) through territory held by the LTTE (or Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, popularly known as the Tamil Tigers), by linking the government-held towns of Vavuniya and Kilinochchi. At the time it was the largest military operation undertaken by the Sri Lankan military. Initially, the Sri Lankan military experienced success by forcing the LTTE out of Killinochchi, capturing large areas, however, the LTTE managed to launch an effective counter-attack which reversed some gains mad ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Battle Of Mullaitivu (1996)
The Battle of Mullaitivu (; ''Mulativ Saṭana''), also known as the First Battle of Mullaitivu and codenamed Operation Unceasing Waves-1 (), was a battle between the militant Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE or Tamil Tigers) and the Sri Lankan military during the Sri Lankan Civil War for control of the military base in Mullaitivu in north-eastern Sri Lanka. The base which contained an understrength infantry brigade was overrun by the LTTE on 18 July 1996, in the days that followed, a combined operation undertaken by all three armed forces failed to rescue the brigade as it had been completely destroyed by the time the relief force reached what was left of the installations of the 25 "Mullaitivu" Brigade, the Sri Lankan military abandoned the town of Mullaitivu, and control of much of Mullaitivu District, to the LTTE on 25 July 1996. Around 1,500 Sri Lankan troops were killed or unaccounted for ( MIA) and large amounts of military equipment captured by the LTTE. 315 LTT ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
