Sri Lanka Air Force Regiment
Encyclopedia
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. SLAF Regiment is fully capable to protect all its air bases, installations by itself using infantry and light armored units as well as launch air assault
s 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'.
The first RCyAF Regiment Squadron was formed under Flt Lt Gerry W. Weeraratne in 1956 to provide ceremonial guards and security for bases and airfields of the Royal Ceylon Air Force based on the RAF Regiment
of the Royal Air Force
.. However the ground defence of the air bases and civil airports were supplemented by the Ceylon Army. This limited the ability of the army to deploy it troops in offensive operations and made the air force dependent on the army. This was seen specially during the 1971 JVP Insurrection.
With the start of the Sri Lankan Civil War
the SLAF Regiment underwent a large expansion due to the SLAF increasing the number of airfields and the threat to these from the LTTE. The Regiment formations increased to a total of 25 Field Wings by 2000 and later to 45 Field Wings. When the Sri Lanka Artillery
disbanded its Anti-Aircraft Regiments in 1962, the air defence role of Sri Lanka
has been taken up by the SLAF Regiment which it provides today, by the Land Based Air Defence Wing.
Since 1956, the SLAF Regiment frequently mounts the guard at the Presidents House
. In March 2009, the SLAF Regiment was presented with the President’s Colours
.
At first the primary role was airfield security and ceremonial duties. In recent years with expansion of the number of wings the SLAF Regiment has begun supporting the Sri Lanka Army in manning defence lines in the north central part of the country and taking part in offensive operations jointly or independently. SLAF Regiment detachments have been established in Morawawa, Pulukunawa-Mahaoya, Puliyankulam, Mankulam
and Poovarasnkulam and has been deployed in Trincomalee
and Peraru. But airfield security remains the corps primary task, members of the SLAF Regiment guards both Civilian and military airports around the country. It also handles the Ground-Based Air Defence role of the Sri Lankan military, protecting both civilian and military installations. To achieve its objectives the regiment uses infantry
, light amoured
, parachute
, mortar
and anti-aircraft
units.
In addition to these roles, the regiment carries out Airborne Rescue Operations and provide ground support such as Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) requirement of the Air Force, its personal serve as SLAF's firefighters and intelligence
. The Regimental Training Centre is located at SLAF Ampara in Ampara
.
The task and role of RSF's Squadrons involves
Surface to Air Missiles
Air Defense Artillery
Land vehicles
Mortars
Small arms
Handguns
Assault Rifles
Sub-Machine guns
Machine guns
Sniper Rifles
Grenade launchers
Rocket launchers
Air assault
Air assault is the movement of ground-based military forces by vertical take-off and landing aircraft—such as the helicopter—to seize and hold key terrain which has not been fully secured, and to directly engage enemy forces...
s with Airborne
Airborne forces
Airborne forces are military units, usually light infantry, set up to be moved by aircraft and 'dropped' into battle. Thus they can be placed behind enemy lines, and have an ability to deploy almost anywhere with little warning...
Infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
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
Search and rescue
Search and rescue is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger.The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, mostly based upon terrain considerations...
missions (CSAR). The corps itself is simply known as the 'regiment'.
History
RAF Regiment
The Royal Air Force Regiment is a specialist airfield defence corps founded by Royal Warrant in 1942. After a 32 week trainee gunner course, its members are trained and equipped to prevent a successful enemy attack in the first instance; minimise the damage caused by a successful attack; and...
of the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
.. However the ground defence of the air bases and civil airports were supplemented by the Ceylon Army. This limited the ability of the army to deploy it troops in offensive operations and made the air force dependent on the army. This was seen specially during the 1971 JVP Insurrection.
With the start of the Sri Lankan Civil War
Sri Lankan civil war
The Sri Lankan Civil War was a conflict fought on the island of Sri Lanka. Beginning on July 23, 1983, there was an on-and-off insurgency against the government by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam , a separatist militant organization which fought to create an independent Tamil state named Tamil...
the SLAF Regiment underwent a large expansion due to the SLAF increasing the number of airfields and the threat to these from the LTTE. The Regiment formations increased to a total of 25 Field Wings by 2000 and later to 45 Field Wings. When the Sri Lanka Artillery
Sri Lanka Artillery
The Sri Lanka Artillery is a corps of the Sri Lanka Army. It is made up of 7 regular regiments and 2 volunteer regiments. The SLA is headquartered at Panagoda Cantonment, Panagoda.-History:...
disbanded its Anti-Aircraft Regiments in 1962, the air defence role of Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
has been taken up by the SLAF Regiment which it provides today, by the Land Based Air Defence Wing.
Since 1956, the SLAF Regiment frequently mounts the guard at the Presidents House
President's House, Colombo
President's House is the official residence of the President of Sri Lanka, located in Colombo, Sri Lanka. It used to be the Queen's House until Sri Lanka became a Republic in 1972.-History:...
. In March 2009, the SLAF Regiment was presented with the President’s Colours
Colours, standards and guidons
In military organizations, the practice of carrying colours, standards or Guidons, both to act as a rallying point for troops and to mark the location of the commander, is thought to have originated in Ancient Egypt some 5,000 years ago...
.
Organisation and current role
SLAF Regiment officers and gunners are organized into 45 Field Wings, which are subdivided into squadrons that are and further subdivided into flights specially trained in ground combat. As conduct of operations related to ground defence is placed under the purview of the Directorate of Ground Operations, the Director Ground Operations is the de-facto commander of the SLAF Regiment.At first the primary role was airfield security and ceremonial duties. In recent years with expansion of the number of wings the SLAF Regiment has begun supporting the Sri Lanka Army in manning defence lines in the north central part of the country and taking part in offensive operations jointly or independently. SLAF Regiment detachments have been established in Morawawa, Pulukunawa-Mahaoya, Puliyankulam, Mankulam
Mankulam
Mankulam is a village in Idukki district in the Indian state of Kerala. The village is geographically located 32 KM from Adimaly, Idukki, Kerala...
and Poovarasnkulam and has been deployed in Trincomalee
Trincomalee
Trincomalee is a port city in Eastern Province, Sri Lanka and lies on the east coast of the island, about 113 miles south of Jaffna. It has a population of approximately 100,000 . The city is built on a peninsula, which divides the inner and outer harbours. Overlooking the Kottiyar Bay,...
and Peraru. But airfield security remains the corps primary task, members of the SLAF Regiment guards both Civilian and military airports around the country. It also handles the Ground-Based Air Defence role of the Sri Lankan military, protecting both civilian and military installations. To achieve its objectives the regiment uses infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
, light amoured
Armoured fighting vehicle
An armoured fighting vehicle is a combat vehicle, protected by strong armour and armed with weapons. AFVs can be wheeled or tracked....
, parachute
Parachute
A parachute is a device used to slow the motion of an object through an atmosphere by creating drag, or in the case of ram-air parachutes, aerodynamic lift. Parachutes are usually made out of light, strong cloth, originally silk, now most commonly nylon...
, mortar
Mortar (weapon)
A mortar is an indirect fire weapon that fires explosive projectiles known as bombs at low velocities, short ranges, and high-arcing ballistic trajectories. It is typically muzzle-loading and has a barrel length less than 15 times its caliber....
and anti-aircraft
Anti-aircraft warfare
NATO defines air defence as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action." They include ground and air based weapon systems, associated sensor systems, command and control arrangements and passive measures. It may be to protect naval, ground and air forces...
units.
In addition to these roles, the regiment carries out Airborne Rescue Operations and provide ground support such as Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) requirement of the Air Force, its personal serve as SLAF's firefighters and intelligence
Intelligence
Intelligence has been defined in different ways, including the abilities for abstract thought, understanding, communication, reasoning, learning, planning, emotional intelligence and problem solving....
. The Regimental Training Centre is located at SLAF Ampara in Ampara
Ampara
Ampara is a remote city on the East Coast of Sri Lanka, about 360 km from the capital city of Colombo. It belongs to the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka. It was a part of the domain of Kavantissa and was then known as "Ambaragama", which over the years changed to Ambara to Ampara...
.
Special Forces
Regiment Special Force is an elite Special Forces unit of the Sri Lanka Air Force, part of the SLAF Regiment, formerly Air Base Defence Rescue Squadron, established on 7 July 2003.The task and role of RSF's Squadrons involves
- Recapturing air bases.
- Provide defenses in an enemy attack as a rapid deployment force.
- Rescue operations and recovering of downed air crew in enemy or friendly terrain.
- Protection of senior air force officers.
- Assist civil authorities in national emergency.
Current SLAF Regiment units
- Field Wings
- No. 1 Wing, SLAF Regiment
- No. 2 Wing, SLAF Regiment
- No. 3 Wing, SLAF Regiment (VolunteerSri Lanka Volunteer Air ForceThe Sri Lanka Volunteer Air Force 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...
) - No. 5 Wing, SLAF Regiment
- No. 6 Wing, SLAF Regiment
- No. 7 Wing, SLAF Regiment
- No. 8 Wing, SLAF Regiment
- No. 9 Wing, SLAF Regiment
- No. 10 Wing, SLAF Regiment
- No. 11 Wing, SLAF Regiment
- No. 12 Wing, SLAF Regiment
- No. 13 Wing, SLAF Regiment
- No. 14 Wing, SLAF Regiment
- No. 15 Wing, SLAF Regiment
- No. 16 Wing, SLAF Regiment
- No. 17 Wing, SLAF Regiment
- No. 18 Wing, SLAF Regiment
- No. 19 Wing, SLAF Regiment
- No. 20 Wing, SLAF Regiment
- No. 21 Wing, SLAF Regiment
- No. 22 Wing, SLAF Regiment
- No. 23 Wing, SLAF Regiment
- No. 24 Wing, SLAF Regiment
- No. 25 Wing, SLAF Regiment
- No. 26 Wing, SLAF Regiment
- No. 27 Wing, SLAF Regiment
- No. 28 Wing, SLAF Regiment
- No. 29 Wing, SLAF Regiment
- No. 30 Wing, SLAF Regiment
- No. 31 Wing, SLAF Regiment
- No. 33 Wing, SLAF Regiment
- No. 34 Wing, SLAF Regiment
- No. 35 Wing, SLAF Regiment
- No. 36 Wing, SLAF Regiment
- No. 37 Wing, SLAF Regiment
- No. 38 Wing, SLAF Regiment
- No. 39 Wing, SLAF Regiment
- No. 40 Wing, SLAF Regiment
- No. 41 Wing, SLAF Regiment
- No. 42 Wing, SLAF Regiment
- No. 43 Wing, SLAF Regiment
- No. 44 Wing, SLAF Regiment
- No. 45 Wing, SLAF Regiment
- Air Defence Squadrons
- No 4 Air Defence Radar Squadron
- No. 32 Land Based Air Defence Wing
- Other Units
- SLAF Band
Weapons
- SA-16 Gimlet
Air Defense Artillery
- Bofors L40/70 40 mm AA guns
- ZSU-23-2 twin 23 mm AA guns
- TCM-20 twin 20 mm AA guns
Land vehicles
- UnibuffelUnibuffelThe Unibuffel is a mine-protected wheeled APC used by the Sri Lankan military.-Production history:Although similar to the South African Buffel, it is built entirely by the Sri Lanka Electrical and Mechanical Engineers...
- Mine-protectedLand mineA land mine is usually a weight-triggered explosive device which is intended to damage a target—either human or inanimate—by means of a blast and/or fragment impact....
APCArmoured personnel carrierAn armoured personnel carrier is an armoured fighting vehicle designed to transport infantry to the battlefield.APCs are usually armed with only a machine gun although variants carry recoilless rifles, anti-tank guided missiles , or mortars... - UnicornUnicorn classThe Unicorn is a mine-protected wheeled APC used by the Sri Lankan military.-Production history:Initial research into producing a "Blast Protected Vehicle" armoured personnel carrier was begun in 1983 by a lone Infantry Major named Jayantha de Silva who was concerned by the destruction wrought by...
- Mine-protected APC - Land Rover Defender
Mortars
- Type 84 (W84) 82 mm mortars
- Type 89 60 mm mortars
Small arms
Handguns
- BerettaBerettaFabbrica d'Armi Pietro Beretta is an Italian firearms manufacturer. Their firearms are used worldwide for a variety of civilian, law enforcement, and military purposes. It is also known for manufacturing shooting clothes and accessories. Beretta is the oldest active firearms manufacturer in the...
M9 PistolM9 PistolThe Beretta M9, formally Pistol, Semiautomatic, 9mm, M9, is a 9×19mm Parabellum pistol of the United States military adopted in 1985. It is essentially a military specification Beretta 92F, later the 92FS.... - Enfield revolverEnfield revolverEnfield Revolver is the name applied to two totally separate models of self-extracting British handgun designed and manufactured at the government-owned Royal Small Arms Factory in Enfield; initially the .476 calibre Revolver Enfield Mk I/Mk II revolvers , and later the .38/200 calibre Enfield No...
Assault Rifles
- Type 81Type 81 Assault RifleThe Type 81 assault rifle was the principal automatic rifle used by the Chinese People's Liberation Army from the mid-1980s until 1995. It incorporates elements of the Dragunov Sniper Rifle, SKS, and AK series rifles in general looks...
Assault rifles - AK-47AK-47The AK-47 is a selective-fire, gas-operated 7.62×39mm assault rifle, first developed in the Soviet Union by Mikhail Kalashnikov. It is officially known as Avtomat Kalashnikova . It is also known as a Kalashnikov, an "AK", or in Russian slang, Kalash.Design work on the AK-47 began in the last year...
Assault rifles - M16M16 rifleThe M16 is the United States military designation for the AR-15 rifle adapted for both semi-automatic and full-automatic fire. Colt purchased the rights to the AR-15 from ArmaLite, and currently uses that designation only for semi-automatic versions of the rifle. The M16 fires the 5.56×45mm NATO...
Assault rifles - QBZ-95QBZ-95The QBZ-95 is an assault rifle manufactured by Arsenal 266, part of Norinco and Arsenal 296, under Jianshe Corp, China South for the People's Liberation Army, the armed forces of the People's Republic of China, Chinese People's Armed Police , and Chinese law enforcement. This weapon uses a...
Assault rifles - SAR-21SAR-21The SAR 21 is a bullpup assault rifle designed and manufactured in Singapore. First revealed and subsequently adopted by the Singapore Armed Forces in 1999, it was designed & developed over a four year period and was intended to replace the locally license-built M16S1 by the Singaporean Ministry...
Assault rifles
Sub-Machine guns
- Uzi Submachine GunSubmachine gunA submachine gun is an automatic carbine, designed to fire pistol cartridges. It combines the automatic fire of a machine gun with the cartridge of a pistol. The submachine gun was invented during World War I , but the apex of its use was during World War II when millions of the weapon type were...
s
Machine guns
- PK machine gunPK machine gunThe PK is a 7.62 mm general-purpose machine gun designed in the Soviet Union and currently in production in Russia. The PK machine gun was introduced in the 1960s and replaced the SGM and RPD machine guns in Soviet service...
s (Chinese version of Russian PKMPK machine gunThe PK is a 7.62 mm general-purpose machine gun designed in the Soviet Union and currently in production in Russia. The PK machine gun was introduced in the 1960s and replaced the SGM and RPD machine guns in Soviet service...
) - Type 56 LMG (Chinese version of Russian RPDRPDThe RPD is a 7.62mm light machine gun developed in the Soviet Union by Vasily Degtyaryov for the intermediate 7.62x39mm M43 cartridge. It was created as a replacement for the DP machine gun chambered for the 7.62x54mmR Mosin rifle round...
)
Sniper Rifles
- Dragunov Sniper Rifles
Grenade launchers
- M203M203 grenade launcherThe M203 is a single shot 40 mm grenade launcher designed to attach to a rifle. It uses the same rounds as the older M79 break-action grenade launcher, which utilize the High-Low Propulsion System to keep recoil forces low. Though versatile, and compatible with many rifle models, the M203 was...
Grenade launcher
Rocket launchers
- Type 69 RPGType 69 RPGThe Type 69 85mm rocket propelled grenade , made by Norinco, is a Chinese copy of the famous RPG-7 developed by the Soviet Union. First introduced in the early 1970s, the Type 69 RPG is a common individual anti-tank weapon in service with the PLA...
Rocket launchers (ChineseChinaChinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
version of RPG-7RPG-7The RPG-7 is a widely-produced, portable, unguided, shoulder-launched, anti-tank rocket-propelled grenade launcher. Originally the RPG-7 and its predecessor, the RPG-2, were designed by the Soviet Union, and now manufactured by the Bazalt company...
)
See also
- Military ranks and insignia of the Sri Lanka Air ForceMilitary ranks and insignia of the Sri Lanka Air ForceThe following tables present the military ranks and insignia of the Sri Lanka Air Force. Upon the formation of the Sri Lanka Air Force in 1951, rank titles and badges for ORs were adopted from the Royal Air Force officer ranks and enlisted ranks, specifically the Royal Flying Corps...
- Military of Sri Lanka
- Sri Lanka Air Force Regiment Special ForceSri Lanka Air Force Regiment Special ForceRegiment Special Force is an elite Special Forces unit of the Sri Lanka Air Force, part of the SLAF Regiment. This was formerly Air Base Defence Rescue Squadron established on 7 July 2003...