Sri Lanka Volunteer Air Force

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The Sri Lanka Volunteer Air Force (SLVAF) is the volunteer reserve element of the Sri Lanka Air Force. Its current mission is to provide trained personnel in support of the Sri Lanka Air Force, specifically No. 3 Squadron, SLAF Regiment and Airfield Construction Squadron. It is very similar to the Royal Air Force's Royal Auxiliary Air Force and the Sri Lanka Volunteer Naval Force of the Sri Lanka Navy.

Sri Lanka Air Force Air warfare branch of Sri Lankas military forces

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.

Royal Air Force Aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces

The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's aerial warfare force. Formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world. Following victory over the Central Powers in 1918 the RAF emerged as, at the time, the largest air force in the world. Since its formation, the RAF has taken a significant role in British military history. In particular, it played a large part in the Second World War where it fought its most famous campaign, the Battle of Britain.

Royal Auxiliary Air Force component of Her Majestys Reserve Air Forces

The Royal Auxiliary Air Force (RAuxAF), formerly the Auxiliary Air Force (AAF), together with the Air Force Reserve, is a component of Her Majesty's Reserve Air Forces. It provides a primary reinforcement capability for the regular service, and consists of paid volunteers who give up some of their weekends, evenings and holidays to train at one of a number of squadrons around the United Kingdom. Its current mission is to provide trained personnel in support of the regular RAF. Queen Elizabeth II is Air Commodore-in-Chief of the RAuxAF.

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All officers and airmen who are commissioned or enlisted to the Volunteer Air Force has to undergo a specified training course to suite the SLAF requirements since they are a part of the staff of the SLAF. The duration and the nature of the training is determined by the Commander of the SLAF.

History

It was formed in 1971 vide Extraordinary Gazette No. 14, 953/18 dated 14 April 1971 by the Governor-general. This was in response to the manpower shortage faced by the air force in face of the 1971 JVP Insurrection that started on 5 April 1971. The purpose of the Volunteer Air Force is to absorb personnel into the organization to fulfill urgent requirements and mobilize in specialized as well as in other areas on a temporary basis to supplement the regular force. Sqn Ldr J.T. Rex Fernando was the first Commanding Officer of the unit with Flt. Lt. Mani Seneviratne as his adjutant.

Governor-general or governor general, in modern usage, is the title of an office-holder appointed to represent the monarch of a sovereign state in the governing of an independent realm. Governors-general have also previously been appointed in respect of major colonial states or other territories held by either a monarchy or republic, such as French Indochina.

At its conception the role of the Volunteer Force was essentially to assist the Regular Force in its primary and internal security duties. With more volunteers employed on internal security duties the skilled regular tradesmen were able to concentrate on their specialist technical and other skilled duties.

Apart from internal security duties and general operational tasks Volunteer personnel were employed almost in every field of Air Force activity, on flying duties, Air Field Construction, Mechanical Transport Operations and maintenance, Engineering duties, Logistics and Catering Duties and Administrative, clerical, Medical and other miscellaneous service duties. The Airfield Construction Squadron was organized to undertake major construction projects and maintenance commitments.

Among the officers, specialists recruited were General Duties Pilots who were required to supplement the small number of Regular Pilots who were continuously flying day and night on operational and air transportation commitments since the outbreak of the insurrection. The Volunteer Pilots were intended to provide some relief though it was not possible to immediately employ most of them on flying operational duties. While a very few were experienced pilots, most of the selected pilots held previous experience in light training aircraft only. A rapid course of training on the basic De Havilland Chipmunks and converting them on the De Havilland Doves and De Havilland Herons they were of assistance to the regular pilots. The volunteers were demobilized by 1972 when the insurrection was stopped successfully.

de Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk military basic training aircraft

The de Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk is a tandem, two-seat, single-engined primary trainer aircraft developed and manufactured by Canadian aircraft manufacturer de Havilland Canada. It was developed shortly after the Second World War and sold heavily throughout the immediate post-war years, being typically employed as a replacement for the de Havilland Tiger Moth biplane.

de Havilland Heron small four-engine propeller-driven airliner

The de Havilland DH.114 Heron was a small propeller-driven British airliner that first flew on 10 May 1950. It was a development of the twin-engine de Havilland Dove, with a stretched fuselage and two more engines. It was designed as a rugged, conventional low-wing monoplane with tricycle undercarriage that could be used on regional and commuter routes. 150 were built, also exported to about 30 countries. Herons later formed the basis for various conversions, such as the Riley Turbo Skyliner and the Saunders ST-27 and ST-28.

Squadrons

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Notable members

Desmond de Silva Sri Lankan singer

Desmond de Silva is a Sri Lankan singer and entertainer, noted for his youthful voice that has changed little over four decades of performing, and regarded as the "King of Baila." Born in Matara in southern Sri Lanka, De Silva is now resident in Australia and has performed to packed concert halls across the world.

Antony Ralph Marinon Opatha is a former Sri Lankan ODI cricketer. A right-arm medium pace bowler, he played five One Day Internationals at the 1975 and 1979 Cricket World Cups.

See also

Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force

The Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force (SLAVF) is the principal and volunteer reserve force component of the Sri Lanka Army. It is a collective name for the reserve units and the Sri Lanka National Guard. The SLAVF is made up of part-time officers and soldiers. They are paid at a similar rate, while engaged on military activities, as their regular equivalents. This is in contrast to the Regular Army Reserve, which comprises people who have a mobilization obligation following their service in the regular army. Administration and recruitment of reserve personal is carried out by the Volunteer Force Headquarters in Battaramulla. The commandant is Major General Piyal de Zoysa Wickramaratne.

Sri Lanka Volunteer Naval Force

The Sri Lanka Volunteer Naval Force (SLVNF) is the volunteer and volunteer reserve force of the Sri Lanka Navy, established on the 22 May 1972, after the Ceylon Naval Volunteer Force. It is headquartered at SLNS Lanka, Welisara, and is tasked with a support and complementary role to the country's navy, partly by serving as a pool of civilian talent and expertise otherwise lacking in the regular naval force, and partly by acting as a reserve force during times of war.

Related Research Articles

Sri Lanka Navy naval component of the Sri Lanka Armed Forces

The Sri Lankan Navy is the naval arm of the Sri Lanka Armed Forces and is classed as the country's most vital defence force due to its island geography. The SLN is responsible for the maritime defense of the Sri Lankan nation and its interests.

Air Chief Marshal WDRMJ Roshan Goonetileke RWP & bar, VSV, USP, ndc, psc was appointed the Chief of Defence Staff on 28 February 2011 on relinquishing Command of the Sri Lanka Air Force. He was the 12th Commander of the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) and is the eldest son of the 5th Commander of the Sri Lanka Air Force, late Air Chief Marshal Harry Goonetileke and the elder brother of late Group Captain Shirantha Goonetileke, who was killed in combat in 1995. He was the second serving service Commander to be appointed as Chief of Defence Staff whilst holding the office.

Air Chief Marshal W.D. Harry Goonetileke USP, ndc, psc, SLAF was the fifth Commander of the Sri Lanka Air Force from November 1, 1976 to April 30, 1981.

Sri Lanka Air Force Regiment

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'.

Dominion of Ceylon predecessor of the modern day country of Sri Lanka

Between 1948 and 1972, Ceylon was an independent country in the Commonwealth of Nations that shared a monarch with Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, and certain other sovereign states. In 1948, the British Colony of Ceylon was granted independence as Ceylon. In 1972, the country became a republic within the Commonwealth, and its name was changed to Sri Lanka. It was an island country in South Asia, located about 31 kilometres (19.3 mi) off the southern coast of India.

China Bay Airport

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.

Air Chief Marshal Deshamanya Paddy Mendis MBIM, idc, psc, SLAF was the fourth Commander of the Royal Ceylon Air Force from 1971 to 1976.

No. 5 Squadron SLAF

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.

No. 2 Squadron SLAF Sri Lanka Air Force transport squadron

No. 2 "Heavy Transport" Squadron is a squadron of the Sri Lanka Air Force. It currently operates the C-130 Hercules and Antonov 32 from SLAF Katunayake.

No. 4 Squadron SLAF

No. 4 (VVIP/VIP) Helicopter Squadron is a squadron of the Sri Lanka Air Force. It currently operates Bell 412/412EP/212/206JR from SLAF Ratmalana for VVIP/VIP Air transport.

No. 7 Squadron SLAF

No. 7 Helicopter Squadron is a squadron of the Sri Lanka Air Force. It currently operates Bell 212s, Bell 206s from SLAF Hingurakgoda for troop transport, MEDEVAC and training helicopter pilots.

No. 1 Flying Training Wing currently based at SLAF China Bay, carries out basic pilot training of the Sri Lanka Air Force. It is the oldest flying formation in the SLAF.

SLAF Ekala is the Sri Lanka Air Force station in Ekala. It is the primary training centre for all Sri Lanka Air Force specialist airmen trades, to this end the station is home to the Advanced & Specialized Trade Training School. It is also the home of the office of Chief Recruiting Officer, who is responsible for recruiting Officers and others ranks to the SLAF.

Air Vice Marshal P.B. Premachandra RWP, RSP, VSV, USP, ndc, psc, qfi, SLAF is the former Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Air Force.

Harsha Abeywickrama Sri Lankan air force commander

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.

Kolitha Gunathilake Sri Lankan air marshal

Air Chief Marshal Kolitha Gunathilake, RWP, RSP, VSV, USP, ndc, psc, qfi is a Sri Lankan fighter pilot and a former Chief of Defence Staff and Commander of the Sri Lankan Air Force.

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.

References

  1. ↑ SRI LANKA, Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies Archived 2006-10-02 at the Wayback Machine .
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