The Royal Ceylon Air Force was born on 2nd March 1951.

At inception, the RCyAF owned no aircraft. Early recruits had to make do with PT and Drill routines, until the first four Chipmunks arrived, and later the Oxfords and Balliols as well. The RCyAF's first trainer, the Chipmunk was ordered in 1950 and the first batch of four aircraft arrived in Ceylon in October the same year.

With the arrival of the Chipmunk, aircraft engineering activities could begin.The aircraft were brought in and assembled at Katunayake, under the guidance of RAF Engineers and were first flown in February 1951.

Hardly three months into his command, Commander Mendis was summoned by telephone to Temple Trees where the Prime Minister, the Hon Sirimavo Bandaranaike announced the outbreak of a Southern-led insurgency in the island. This was the first serious internal threat faced by Ceylon.

The five Jet Provosts lying in storage at China Bay had the dust wiped off their windscreens, their Browning guns were rapidly fitted and harmonised, and the aircraft given a complete servicing and made ready for combat in a matter of three days.

By the morning of 9th April 1971, the five Jet Provosts were flown to Katunayake, attacking a target on the way.

Additions to the fleet in 1987 came in the form of four more Yunshuju - 12s and two of the SLAFs first Y8 heavy transport aircraft, the Chinese version of the Russian Antonov AN12.

The addition of the Y8 to the fleet also introduced the capabilities of air lifting more than 150 personnel in a single flight, whilst the Y12 could land and take off, even on grass fields.

The Y12s and the Y8s both joined the No. 2 Transport Squadron.

In 1988, the twin prongs of the SLAF s Operations, viz. Flying and Ground, were brought under one directorate.

In 1997 the SLAF flew over 20,000 hours, operationally for the first time ever, logging 21,895 hours in total and they did this despite losing nine manned aircraft.

Operation Jayasikuru was by far the most arduous undertaking for the SLAF. This we may glean from the sheer number of missions flown by SLAF aircraft. The Kfir jets flew 232 missions whilst the Mi-24 Attack Helicopters flew 127 missions and the Pucaras 13!

No 111 Sqn flew its Searcher Mark Two UAV's extensivly through out the "Humanitarian Operations" providing invaluable visual intelligence to both the decision makers and also those on the front lines.

SLAF was an integral part of the recently concluded Humanitarian Operations and played a key role by providing close air support by the MI-24 Helicopter gunships, the accurate target acquisition by the fighter jets and the casualty evacuation operations carried out in the midst of the battle by the SLAF helicopters.

SLAF was also instrumental UAVs in providing real time situational awareness to the battlefield commanders.

Destroying terrorist air capability with the use of the Air Defence System was also a notable achievement as the system has been established within a very short period of time.