Pacific Airlift Rally 2017: About
The Pacific Airlift Rally is a Pacific Air Force (PACAF) sponsored airlift symposium involving countries from the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. The event is organized by the PACAF, which is the air component of the United States Pacific Command with a selected Air Force in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region as a co-hosting nation. The Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) is the co-host of the Pacific Airlift Rally 2017 together with the United States Pacific Air Force. The event is scheduled to be conducted from 11th September to 16th September 2017.
The Aim of the Pacific Airlift Rally is to enhance military airlift interoperability and to build partnerships between nations in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region, with a focus on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) operations.
Pacific Airlift Rally events include an international seminar, a Command Post Exercise (table top exercise) focusing on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief coordination between the multiple countries and a Flying Training Exercise to carry out disaster relief, Para drop, Para troop, cargo drop and various other tactical flying relating to the command post exercise scenario utilizing C-130 Hercules Aircraft.
This type of combined multinational exercises is conducted world over in view of enhancing interaction with regional Air Forces and exposing them to international experience. This would be a golden opportunity for the SLAF and for Sri Lanka as a country to boost the competency of the operators as well as to build up mutual understanding between regional countries, in assessing the capabilities of handling such eventualities.
The Exercise will be conducted in two parallel sub components. The Command Post Exercise (CPX) will be conducted at Jetwing Blue, Negombo, while the Field Training Exercise (FTX) will be at SLAF Base Katunayaka and SLAF Station Ampara. Personnel from USA, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, Philippines, Thailand, Australia, Vietnam are scheduled to participate.
In addition, there will be a Medical Subject Matter Expert Exchange (SMEE) which will focus on post-disaster medical relief. There will also be a Civil Engineering SMEE as well which will focus on utilizing of regional forces related to Civil Engineering matters.