The Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) has inducted a new Beechcraft King Air 360ER aircraft. The acquisition was funded by the US Department of Defense's (DoD's) Building Partner Capacity programme. (US Embassy in Sri Lanka)
The Sri Lankan Air Force (SLAF) has acquired a Beechcraft King Air 360ER to enhance its maritime surveillance operations.
The aircraft, which was donated by the US government, was scheduled to arrive in Sri Lanka in mid-September 2024. According to the SLAF, it inducted the aircraft into service on 10 October. The acquisition was funded by a USD19 million grant by the US Department of Defense's (DoD's) Building Partner Capacity programme, the US Embassy in Sri Lanka said in a press statement.
The donation, which includes the aircraft and support services, originated in 2019 and is part of a long-term collaboration with the SLAF, according to the US Embassy.
The SLAF added that the 360ER has been provided on “a gratis basis” to strengthen the country's “capacity to secure its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and maintain maritime security within Sri Lanka's Flight Information Region (FIR)”.
According to Air Marshal R A Udeni P Rajapaksa, commander of the SLAF, the aircraft will contribute to “collective security efforts in the Indian Ocean region” and combat “transnational crime”.
Manufactured by Beechcraft Textron Aviation in late 2022, the King Air 360ER (which has the serial number SMR-844) was integrated with radars and cameras in 2024, according to the US Embassy. The SLAF has said the aircraft will be used to conduct intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) operations; expand on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) capabilities; monitor illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing; and support the Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) in countering human smuggling and drug trafficking.
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