India handed over the first Dornier aircraft to Sri Lanka
the presence of Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe during a ceremony. Vice Admiral
S.N. Ghormade and Indian High Commissioner to Colombo Gopal Baglay handed over the aircraft as
a gift at the Sri Lanka Air Force Base in Katunayake.
Its aim is to further boost the bilateral defense partnership between the two countries. This will help in meeting the urgent security requirement of Sri Lanka.
For this, the 15-member Sri Lankan crew has been provided extensive training in India by the Indian
Navy. These will be monitored by the Indian technical team attached to the Sri Lankan Air Force (SLAF).
India's assistance in procuring two Dornier aircraft was requested during the defense talks held by the Sri Lankan government in 2018. After this, this is the first Dornier aircraft to join the Sri Lankan fleet.
India will provide Sri Lanka with two Dornier aircraft, which are being manufactured by aerospace major Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). Let us tell you that when these two-HAL manufactured aircraft are handed over to Sri Lanka, then this given Dornier aircraft will be returned to the Indian Navy.
Dornier
The Dornier 228 Maritime Patrol Aircraft is a short take-off and landing (STOL), multirole light transport aircraft. It is used by the Indian Navy for electronic warfare missions, maritime surveillance and disaster relief systems. It is being produced since 1981.