SLAF Mirigama

SLAF Mirigama
	Mirigama, Western Province
Type	Radar Station
Site information
Controlled by	Sri Lanka Air Force
Site history
In use	2008 – present

Last updated February 19, 2019

SLAF Mirigama is the Sri Lanka Air Force radar station in Mirigama. It provides air surveillance and early warning and is home to the No 4 Air Defence Radar Squadron. A Chinese JY-11 Radar low/medium altitude 3D surveillance radar has been installed since 2008 as part of the National Air Defence System of Sri Lanka.^[1]^[2]

The Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) is the air arm and the youngest of the Sri Lanka Armed Forces. It was founded in 1951 as the Royal Ceylon Air Force (RCyAF) with the assistance of the Royal Air Force (RAF). The SLAF played a major role throughout the Sri Lankan Civil War. The SLAF operates more than 160 aircraft and has a projected trained strength of 27,400 airmen and 1,300 officers, who are from both regular and reserve service. The Sri Lanka Air Force has expanded to specialize mainly in providing air-support to ground forces, troop landing, and carrying out air strikes on rebel-held areas in the Northern and Eastern theaters, but is also capable of high- and low-level air defence.

Mirigama is a town in Gampaha District, Sri Lanka. It is located 57 km (35 mi) from Colombo, and 34 km (21 mi) from Negombo.

China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia and the world's most populous country, with a population of around 1.404 billion. Covering approximately 9,600,000 square kilometers (3,700,000 sq mi), it is the third- or fourth-largest country by total area. Governed by the Communist Party of China, the state exercises jurisdiction over 22 provinces, five autonomous regions, four direct-controlled municipalities, and the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau.

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The Air Tigers was the air-wing of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), who used it against the Government of Sri Lanka. Though the existence of the Air Tigers had been the subject of speculation for many years, the existence of the wing was only revealed after an attack in March 2007, during Eelam War IV.

The Sri Lanka Air Force Regiment is a specialized ground combat corps within the Sri Lanka Air Force, responsible for capturing and defending airfields and associated installations. Its members are the SLAF Regiment Officers and the airmen of operations ground specialization. The SLAF Regiment is fully capable of protecting all its air bases, installations by itself using infantry and light armored units as well as launch air assaults with Airborne Infantry elements (paratroopers). Ground-based air defense of vital military and civil installations around the country is carried out by the SLAF Regiment along with combat search and rescue missions (CSAR). The corps itself is simply known as the 'regiment'.

Air Chief Marshal G Donald Perera VSV, USP, ndc, psc, SLAF was the Commander of the Sri Lanka Air Force from 2002 to 2006 and Chief of the Defence Staff from 2006 to 2009. After stepping down as Chief of the Defence Staff, Perera was appointed as Sri Lanka's Ambassador to Israel in 2009.

China Bay Airport (Tamil: சீனக்குடா விமான நிலையம், translit. Cīṉakkuṭā Vimāṉa Nilaiyam; Sinhalese: චීන වරාය ගුවන්තොටුපළ, translit. Cīna Varāya Guvantoṭupaḷa; is an air force base and domestic airport in China Bay in eastern Sri Lanka. Located approximately 7 km south west of the city of Trincomalee, the airport is also known as Trincomalee Airport and SLAF China Bay.

The Air Force Academy (AFA) is the Sri Lanka Air Force's training and education academy which provides initial training to all SLAF personnel who are preparing to be commissioned officers. AFA also provides initial training to Officer Cadets of the general duties pilot branch.

No. 5 "Jet" Squadron is a squadron of the Sri Lanka Air Force. It currently operates in both air defence and ground attack role with F-7 Skybolts from SLAF Katunayake.

Vavuniya Airport is an air force base and domestic airport in Vavuniya in northern Sri Lanka. Located approximately 1.4 km (0.87 mi) south of the centre of Vavuniya, the airport is also known as SLAF Vavuniya. Originally built by the Royal Air Force during World War II, it was taken over by the Sri Lanka Air Force in 1978.

Air Chief Marshal Harsha Abeywickrema, RWP, RSP, VSV, USP, rcds, psc, qfi is a senior Sri Lankan air force officer and fighter pilot, who served as the Commander of the Sri Lankan Air Force from 2011 to 2014 and later went on to serve as a Chairman of the Bank of Ceylon.

Air Vice Marshal Arun Kumaresan, RSP, USP, psc, SLAF was a Director Planning of the Sri Lanka Air Force.

Air Vice Marshal Ravi Arunthavanathan, RWP, RSP, VSV, USP, psc, SLAF was the former Deputy Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Air Force and current Additional Secretary, Ministry of Defence.

Air Chief Marshal Gagan Bulathsinghala RWP, RSP, VSV, USP, MPhil, MSc in Mgt, FIM(SL) ndc, psc is a retired air officer and a former Commander of the Sri Lanka Air Force. He has also held the position of Chief of the Air Staff and, after his retirement on 12 September 2016, was appointed the Sri Lankan Ambassador to Afghanistan- a position he holds currently.

Air Chief Marshal Andibuduge Walter Fernando, VSV, ndc, psc was a senior Sri Lanka Air Force officer, who served as the 7th Commander of the Sri Lankan Air Force and thereafter Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Defence.

Air Vice Marshal Sumangala Dias RSP, MSc, ndc, psc is a senior Sri Lankan air officer and current Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Air Force

Air Marshal Kapila Veedhiya Bandara Jayampathy WWV, RWP, RSP MSc, MSc is the current Commander of the Sri Lanka Air Force.

The Sri Lanka Air Force 25th Anniversary Medal was awarded to all ranks of both the regular- and volunteer forces of the Sri Lanka Air Force, as well as civilians employed within the SLAF who were in service on the 2 March 1976, the date of the 25th anniversary of the SLAF.

References

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[1] ttp://www.isn.ethz.ch/isn/Communities-and-Partners/Partners/Detail/?lng=en&id=88330

[2] Collapse of Tigers won’t diminish air borne threat