Privatising the war
A local airline company has bagged a lucrative multi-million dollar job.
It will hire retired Royal Air Force pilots from Britain to train pilots for the Sri Lanka Air Force. In fact a team of former RAF boys have already arrived.
Apart from other benefits, the local airline will have the advantage of using SLAF resources including aircraft for this purpose.
When the SLAF suffered losses in their fleet in 1995 due to LTTE action, the same airline won deals to ferry troops and cargo to the north - an assignment that involved millions of rupees. And now comes the new deal.
One irate security official in the defence establishment, who does not wear uniform, remarked wryly "get another company to borrow the Army's tanks and train some commandos."
Good idea! After all, we are now in the era of privatisation. Who knows, the separatist war itself may get privatised in the years to come.
Homage to Bhagwan
Army Commander, Lieutenant General Rohan Daluwatte's second overseas trip since assuming office is to India.
Like the first one, he flew last week with his wife Jayanthi to Puttarpathi in Karnataka State, South India, to pay homage to Bhagwan Sathya Sai Baba.
Lt. Gen. Daluwatte is a staunch devotee of the Bhagwan.
Airframe corrosion?
Three weeks after it took off on a reconnaissance mission east of Palaly, there is still no word on the SLAF Y12. Despite strong suspicions that it was shot down official records will simply list it as missing.
But a reputed Jane's manual on aircraft, dealing with Y12 Chinese STOL (Short Take Off and Landing) has the following to say:
"More than 80 have been sold, including nine delivered to the Sri Lanka Air Force between 1986 and 1990. Although nominally belonging to No. 202 Light Transport Wing at Ratmalana, they have also been used for maritime patrol and surveillance, while some have been adapted as makeshift bombers, able to carry 1,000 lbs weapon load in raids against Tamil separatists. Corrosion has degraded their airframes, and three of the nine were grounded in 1994 to provide spares for the other six."
Air cover
Indian External Affairs Minister, Shri Inder Kumar Gujral, may have not known it when he boarded the Indian Air Force AVRO in Bangalore for his special flight to Colombo last month.
Air Traffic Controllers at Bandaranaike International Airport were extra cautious not to allow any confusion to get in the way.
Controllers advised pilots of incoming flights to delay or give them holding positions several miles away until the VIP cargo landed safely at the airport and were whisked away by chopper to Colombo.
It certainly was a wise move taking into account our own Ministers and security top brass getting lost in Sri Lankan skies.
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