At a ceremony held yesterday 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.

Funded by the U.S. Department of Defense’s Building Partner Capacity program, this donation, which originated in 2019, is part of a long-term collaboration with the Sri Lanka Air Force,” the US embassy said in a statement.

“This advanced aircraft is designed to enhance Sri Lanka’s capabilities in search and rescue operations, drug interdiction, and combating trafficking and smuggling. 

“It will also significantly improve the country’s maritime surveillance operations while reinforcing U.S.-Sri Lanka defense cooperation.”