정찰기 스리랑카, 미국과 호주로부터 King Air 360ER/350 정찰기 인수

[위종민]

미국이 10월 10일 스리랑카에게 King Air 360ER을, 호주가 10월 24일 King Air 350 정찰기를 지원했네요. 미군이 지원한 기체는 2022년 제조돼 2024년 해양감시장비 부착 개량을 실시한 신조기체네요. 호주공군이 지원한 기체는 1년간 호주가 스리랑카에서 운영을 지원한 뒤에 스리랑카 공군에게 운영 권한을 넘긴다고 합니다. 

두 비행기 모두 해양감시 및 ISR 능력을 갖추고 있어 불법어업 및 밀수, 인신매매 등 해양에서의 위협에 대응하는데 쓰일 예정입니다. 

Sri Lanka Strengthens Maritime Capabilities With New Surveillance Aircraft – The Diplomat

Sri Lanka Strengthens Maritime Capabilities With New Surveillance Aircraft

Sri Lanka Strengthens Maritime Capabilities With New Surveillance Aircraft

The Sri Lanka Air Force recently received two advanced surveillance aircraft from the U.S. and Australia, marking a significant step in deepening ties with Western defense partners. 

By Hansa De Soysa

October 31, 2024

The Beechcraft King Air 360ER transferred from the United States to the Sri Lanka Air Force on Oct. 10, 2024.

Credit: U.S. Embassy in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka recently received two advanced surveillance aircraft from the United States and Australia, marking a significant step in deepening ties with Western defense partners as well as safeguarding the country’s maritime interests. These gifts represent a long-term strategic collaboration, initially planned by the previous administration and now realized under President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s leadership.

This is a milestone for Sri Lanka’s emerging role as a key player in ensuring stability across the Indian Ocean.

On October 10, U.S. Pacific Fleet Commander Admiral Steve Koehler ceremoniously handed over a Beechcraft King Air 360ER to the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) at Katunayake Air Force Base. The ceremony was attended by top officials, including U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung and Sri Lanka’s Defense Secretary Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha (Retd).

The induction of the new aircraft equips Sri Lanka’s military with an advanced, state-of-the-art surveillance tool. The King Air 360ER will enable Sri Lanka to monitor its waters, counter maritime threats, and safeguard essential trade routes. “As partners, the United States shares Sri Lanka’s vision that security is a collective responsibility, as our seas connect us,” Chung said at the ceremony. She emphasized that shared security across these waters is crucial to supporting the prosperity and peace both Sri Lanka and the United States value.

Following closely on the heels of U.S. support, Australia further strengthened Sri Lanka’s maritime capabilities on October 24, with the arrival of a former Royal Australian Air Force King Air 350. Equipped with intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities, the King Air 350 will operate alongside its U.S. counterpart, providing the SLAF with greater flexibility and control over its shores. With Australia providing support for a year, this aircraft enhances Sri Lanka’s capacity to monitor its maritime surroundings and respond to humanitarian missions – a critical responsibility as a key player in regional coastal security.

Koehler captured the spirit of these collaborations, saying, “Today’s ceremony is about much more than one aircraft; it’s about our two nations’ commitment to protecting sovereignty and addressing complex maritime challenges together.” The gifts of these aircraft are not just about modernizing defense capabilities but reflect how the United States and Australia view Sri Lanka: as a critical regional point in terms of defense and as a protector of peace in a region faced with pressing maritime threats.

For Sri Lanka, the new aircraft offer much more than surveillance. They are essential tools to counter the surge in maritime threats and challenges the country has faced for years, including illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, smuggling, and human trafficking. In recent years, these threats have escalated, including poaching by unauthorized vessels, drug trafficking, and piracy along one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes. 

Positioned in Trincomalee, the King Airs will support Maritime Squadron 3, enabling Sri Lanka to monitor vast ocean areas and address threats beyond its immediate shores.

Dissanayake’s administration has made a promising start with the arrival of Western defense support. Interestingly, before his election, Dissanayake faced criticism for lacking a global network, with skeptics claiming he would be unable to establish meaningful connections with major powers that could bring in foreign support. This recent collaboration stands as a compelling counterpoint to those doubts, demonstrating his administration’s ability to foster significant alliances that benefit Sri Lanka’s security and standing. With a seasoned and highly decorated former SLAF pilot as the secretary of defense, this collaboration now holds the potential for even stronger ties. 

For Sri Lanka, the King Airs are more than defense assets; they are an indicator of the country’s growing importance in the Indo-Pacific. With new capabilities to protect its waters and contribute to regional stability, Sri Lanka is emerging as a leader in fostering peace and prosperity across the Indian Ocean. 

U.S. Gifts Advanced Aircraft to Strengthen Sri Lanka’s Maritime Security and Sovereignty in the Indian Ocean - U.S. Embassy in Sri Lanka

Technical Difficulties

U.S. Gifts Advanced Aircraft to Strengthen Sri Lanka’s Maritime Security and Sovereignty in the Indian Ocean

By U.S. Embassy Colombo

6 MINUTE READ

October 10, 2024

U.S. Navy Admiral Steve Koehler and Commander of the Sri Lanka Air Force Air Marshal Udeni Rajapaksa sign the ceremonial handover documentU.S. Gifts Advanced Aircraft to Strengthen Sri Lanka’s Maritime Security and Sovereignty in the Indian OceanU.S. Transfers Beechcraft King Air 360ER to Sri Lanka Air Force, Enhancing Maritime Domain Awareness and Security

Katunayake, Sri Lanka: October 10, 2024 — At a ceremony held today at Sri Lanka Air Force Base Katunayake, U.S. Navy Admiral Steve Koehler, commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet, officially handed over a Beechcraft King Air 360ER aircraft, gifted by the United States, to the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF). The event, attended by U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung, Secretary to the Ministry of Defense Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha (Retd), and Commander of the Sri Lanka Air Force Air Marshal Udeni Rajapaksa, marked the handover of this advanced aircraft—a symbol of the enduring U.S.-Sri Lanka partnership and a crucial step in strengthening Sri Lanka’s maritime security and sovereignty.  Equipped with cutting-edge surveillance technology, the King Air will strengthen Sri Lanka’s ability to patrol its waters, counter maritime threats, and secure vital trade routes in the Indian Ocean.

U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung emphasized the importance of the King Air aircraft, highlighting it as a testament to the strong U.S.-Sri Lanka partnership and Sri Lanka’s role in ensuring peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region: “As partners, the United States shares Sri Lanka’s vision that security is a collective responsibility, as our seas connect us. Maritime domain awareness is crucial to safeguarding Sri Lanka’s maritime trade routes, which are the lifeblood of its economy. While the oceans are rich in economic opportunities, they are also vulnerable to significant threats — from illegal fishing to smuggling, human trafficking, and other illegal, coercive, and deceitful activities. It is my hope that this Beechcraft King Air will serve as a constant guardian of your nation’s peace and prosperity, always vigilant in defending what is rightfully yours.”

U.S. Navy Admiral Steve Koehler, U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung, Sri Lanka’s Secretary to the Ministry of Defense Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha (Retd) and Commander of the Sri Lanka Air Force Air Marshal Udeni Rajapaksa at the official handover ceremony of the Beechcraft King Air 360ER

Air Marshal Udeni Rajapaksa, Commander of the Sri Lanka Air Force, welcomed the Beechcraft King Air 360ER aircraft as a significant milestone of the longstanding partnership between Sri Lanka and the United States. “The induction of the Beechcraft King Air 360ER aircraft is one of the instrumental steps in augmenting the Air Force’s airpower for maritime domain awareness,” he stated. “This substantiates our enhanced focus on ensuring maritime security and broadening HADR capabilities in the Indian Ocean Region as a responsible and key stakeholder nation. Further, this advanced ISR platform will be the latest addition to the ongoing efforts of fostering collective security and interoperability to face the threats in the air and maritime domains and curb transnational crime in our region. We look forward to playing a greater role in the regional maritime domain awareness, particularly in maritime surveillance, monitoring and patrolling whilst fulfilling our obligations to regional peace and security.”

Admiral Steve Koehler reaffirmed U.S. commitment to regional security and partnership with Sri Lanka, stating: “Today’s ceremony is about much more than one aircraft, it’s about our two nation’s commitment to protecting sovereignty and addressing complex maritime challenges together in the Indian Ocean. I look forward to strengthening our partnership and advancing a shared vision for peace and stability by upholding the rules based international order.”

The King Air, funded by the U.S. Department of Defense’s Building Partner Capacity program, was manufactured by Beechcraft Textron Aviation and completed in 2022, with maritime surveillance upgrades added in 2024. Sri Lanka Air Force personnel received specialized training in Kansas and Florida to operate the aircraft, and further training will be conducted by U.S. government personnel over the next three months. The King Air 360ER will undergo final preparations at the Ratmalana Air Force Base before joining Maritime Patrol Squadron 3 in China Bay, Trincomalee.

Beechcraft King Air 360ER

Donated Australian King Air arrives in Sri Lanka - Australian Defence Magazine 

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Donated Australian King Air arrives in Sri Lanka

25 October 2024

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A former Royal Australian Air Force King Air 350 arrived in Sri Lanka on October 24 following a ferry flight from Australia.

The aircraft, A32-673, was earmarked for donation to the Sri Lankan Air Force in May 2023. It will be supported in Sri Lanka for 12 months by Australia, before responsibility is turned over to the Sri Lankan Air Force.

It will be used to perform maritime domain awareness missions by the Sri Lankan Air Force, complementing a King Air 360ER provided by the US Government in early October.

광고

A32-673 was fitted with an intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance pod before delivery to the Sri Lankan Air Force.

In 2023, fourteen years after handing its four Beechcraft 350 Super King Air aircraft to Air Force, the Australian Army once again decided it needs a fixed-wing support capability. 

Defence released an Expressions of Interest (EOI) FCOMD/EOI/37171/1(Army Aviation General Fixed Wing Support) to industry with the aim of leasing up to two single-engine aircraft, with the capability intended to become available earlier this year.

Under the EOI, Army Aviation sought aircraft with the ability to carry small loads (less than 10 people or 1,000 kg of cargo) with good short take off and landing (STOL) capabilities to allow operations from unprepared and austere airfields across northern Australia. 

The requirement was for the aircraft selected to be capable of carrying Defence personnel and VIPs on occasion, as well as cargo operations which include the carriage of dangerous goods – primarily small arms ammunition.