Lanka to purchase 4 helicopters for Training

A contingent of helicopter pilots urgently needed for their UN sponsored peace keeping mission Four Bell jet ranger helicopters to train helicopter pilots

The Cabinet has given the green light to the Sri Lanka Air Force to purchase four Bell jet ranger helicopters to train helicopter pilots for peace keeping missions overseas, Cabinet spokesman and Minister Ramesh Pathirana said yesterday.

Minister Pathirana told the weekly cabinet news briefing that Air Force personnel of Sri Lanka were serving in Sudan and Central Africa right 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 have been purchased in 1981 and give a lot of problems. Training with them is risky and therefore, purchasing a few modern helicopters is extremely vital,” Minister Pathirana said.