India handed over a substitute for a Dornier-228 maritime surveillance aircraft to Sri Lanka on Wednesday in a move to reaffirm security ties and bolster Colombo's surveillance capabilities.
Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe's office in a statement said that the aircraft was handed over to Sri Lanka by India at a ceremony held at the Sri Lanka Air Force Base in Katunayake. The acquisition was mentioned during bilateral security discussions in 2018 to aim Sri Lanka's maritime surveillance capabilities.
"In response to Sri Lanka's request, the Indian government took proactive measures during these deliberations. They decided to provide a Donier-228 maritime surveillance aircraft, which was part of the Indian Navy's fleet, to Sri Lanka free of cost for a span of two years," read the statement.
The original Dornier-228 aircraft gifted by New Delhi to Sri Lanka in August 2022 is currently undergoing yearly maintenance in India. The versatile multi-purpose light transport aircraft has proved crucial in performing specialised tasks in Sri Lanka over the past year.
The Dornier-228 aircraft has significantly contributed to several operations in Sri Lanka, including monitoring and safeguarding Sri Lanka's airspace and exclusive economic zone in a spade of activites, such as search and rescue missions and controlling maritime pollution.
The handing over of the substitute aircraft was done in a ceremony in the presence of a delegation led by Senior Advisor to the President on National Security Sagala Ratnayaka, Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Gopal Baglay and Defense Secretary Kamal Gunaratne.
"It is not only with this aircraft that we have received India's assistance. It’s been a longstanding relationship, but in more recent times, when we were going through the economic crisis, India stepped up beyond the call of duty to lend us a hand," said Ratnayaka.
The latest development comes less than a month after Sri Lankan President Wickremesinghe visited Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi as both countries celebrated 75 years of diplomatic relations this year.
(With PTI inputs)
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