By P.K. Balachandran, IANS
Colombo : Sri Lanka’s air force is now able to raid Tiger-held areas in the island’s north and return to base safely, but even now it is unable to counter rebel air raids at night because it lacks the capability to do so.
The Sri Lanka Air Force’s (SLAF) ability to pound areas controlled by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) is in sharp contest with the past when the Tigers would down air force planes with air missiles.
Efforts are on to equip SLAF aircraft with night fighting capability but these are yet to bear fruit because of the expenditure involved and the reluctance of countries to part with the appropriate technology, a military expert told IANS.
The LTTE’s nascent air wing has conducted two air raids against military and strategic targets in and around Colombo this year. Both raids took place at night.
Ground-based scouts spotted the raiders well in time for SLAF aircraft to take off for interception. But no aircraft took off because they had no night fighting capability.
The flying Tigers in their slow moving Czech-made single engine, propeller driven aircraft could get away over a distance of 500 km up and down without suffering any damage.
India, which supplies only “defensive” equipment to the Sri Lankan armed forces, would not be able to equip the SLAF fighter bombers and attack helicopters for night operations.
The other option is Pakistan, which has a close relationship with SLAF. But Pakistan can do little because the Pakistan Air Force and SLAF do not operate the same kind of aircraft.
The Pakistanis use American aircraft while the SLAF uses Russian/East European MiG jets and choppers as well as out of date Israeli Kifr fighter bombers.
“It will be like trying to fit a Mercedes’ carburettor in a Nissan vehicle,” the defence expert said.
However, both India and Pakistan are keen to help out Sri Lanka to improve its air defence.
India recently conducted an exercise codenamed “Dakshin Prahar” to defend military, strategic and economic targets in south India against air attacks by regular and rogue air forces like the LTTE’s air wing. India may like Sri Lanka’s cooperation in any system it may put together in the near future.
It is in this context that the current visit of an Indian military delegation to Sri Lanka assumes significance.
“Among the issues which will be discussed is air defense,” an Indian high commission spokesman said, while downplaying the visit as a “routine one” meant to discuss administrative and other issues related to defense cooperation.
The spokesman said the Indian radars given to Sri Lanka were working “extremely well”.
However, both India and Sri Lanka recognise that it is important for the SLAF to acquire night operational capability if air defence is to be meaningful and fool proof.