The Sri Lanka Air Force, established in 1951 as the Royal Ceylon Air Force, marked 75 years of safeguarding the skies above our beloved motherland, Sri Lanka, on a day such as today (02 March 2026). The official anniversary parade was held this morning at SLAF Base Katunayake under the auspices of the Commander of the Air Force, Bandu Edirisinghe. In line with the 75th Anniversary celebrations, 43 Officer Cadets and Lady Officer Cadets were commissioned by the Commander of the Air Force from the No. 67 Officer Cadets Intake and from the No. 35, No. 37, No. 39 and No. 40 Intakes of General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University.

The anniversary parade comprised three Squadrons and twelve Flights and was commanded by the Director General Planning, Air Vice Marshal Deshapriya Silva. The first Squadron was commanded by the Officer Commanding Training of the SLAF Combat Training School Diyatalawa, Group Captain Wasantha Laxman, the second Squadron by the Commanding Officer of No. 07 Helicopter Squadron, SLAF Base Hingurakgoda, Group Captain Hirantha De Silva and the third Squadron by the Commanding Officer of No. 48 K-9 Wing, SLAF Base Katunayake, Group Captain Dinesh Hathurusinghe. The Parade Adjutant was Squadron Leader Dinesh Kiriwandeniya and the Parade Warrant Officer was Warrant Officer AD Thushara.

During the parade, the Commander delivered his official anniversary address to those present at Katunayake and to the entire SLAF membership connected via a live-streamed video feed made available to all Air Force establishments.

The Commander commenced his address by paying tribute to past members of the Sri Lanka Air Force who made the supreme sacrifice or were rendered differently abled in the line of duty, honoring their invaluable service and legacy. He stated that the acquisition and induction of ten Bell 206 TH-57 helicopters are expected in the near future, while the Kfir aircraft upgrade programme is in its final stage to further enhance operational capability. He also noted that discussions are underway with the United States of America regarding the induction of another batch of helicopters and one C-130 aircraft. As part of infrastructure development initiatives, a project will soon commence to repair married quarters to improve the welfare of servicemen and their families. Concluding, he congratulated the newly commissioned officers on joining the Air Force officer cadre and urged them to serve with dedication and contribute to the development of the nation.

Upon completion of the anniversary parade, the Commander proceeded to the Astra Cinema, where the launch of the Sri Lanka Air Force 75th Anniversary Special Commemorative Cover and Stamp took place. The Postmaster General issued the first Sri Lanka Air Force 75th Anniversary Commemorative Stamp and Cover to Air Marshal Bandu Edirisinghe. Thereafter, other distinguished guests were presented with the 75th Anniversary Special Commemorative Cover and Stamp. Following the ceremony, the Commander also attended the opening of a Mobile Dental Service Facility, introduced as part of the Air Force’s ongoing welfare and community service initiatives. 

The anniversary parade was attended by the Chief of Staff, Deputy Chief of Staff, Members of the Air Force Board of Management, the Vice Chancellor of KDU, senior officers and special invitees. The subsequent stamp launching ceremony at Astra Cinema was attended by the Chief of Staff, Deputy Chief of Staff, Members of the Air Force Board of Management, senior officers and other distinguished guests.