SL to purchase 4 helicopters for training

9 July 2020 02:01 pm Views - 2461

The Cabinet has given the green light to the Sri Lanka Air Force to purchase four helicopters to train helicopter pilots for peace keeping duties overseas, Cabinet Spokesman Ramesh Pathirana said today.

Minister Pathirana told the weekly Cabinet news briefing that SLAF personnel were serving in Sudan and Central Africa now and a contingent of helicopter pilots were urgently needed for their UN sponsored peace keeping mission.

“The two helicopters in use to train pilots were purchased in 1981 and give a lot of problems,” he said. 
“Training with them is risky and therefore, purchasing a few modern helicopters is extremely vital,” Minister Pathirana said.