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.

As a gesture marking the commencement of the anniversary parade, an aerial salute by a K8 Advanced Jet Trainer aircraft, captained by Wing Commander Hishan Gunewardene, was accorded to the Commander upon his arrival at the saluting dais. 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 commissioning of the officer cadets, a helicopter formation comprising one Bell 212 and two Bell 412 helicopters flew above the parade ground. The Bell 212 was captained by the Commanding Officer No. 4 Helicopter Squadron, Group Captain Rasanka Wijewardene, while the two Bell 412 helicopters were captained by Wing Commander Lakshitha Colombage and Wing Commander Daham Randunuge.

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 issuance of the 75th Anniversary Special Commemorative Stamp and Cover, the SLAF marked another historic milestone with the official launch of the Third Edition of the Air and Space Power Doctrine. The ceremonial handing over of the first copy was conducted by Director General Planning, Air Vice Marshal Deshapriya Silva to the Commander of the Air Force, Air Marshal Bandu Edirisinghe. The newly unveiled doctrine shows the Service’s evolving strategic vision, incorporating enhanced focus on Maritime Domain Awareness and for the first time, the integration of Space Operations into its conceptual framework, thereby strengthening the intellectual foundation guiding the SLAF’s future employment of air and space power in alignment with national security priorities.

Subsequent to the doctrine launch, the Mobile Dental Service Unit was ceremonially inaugurated, highlighting the Air Force’s continued engagement to enhancing welfare services and expanding community outreach initiatives in support of both its personnel and the wider public.

The anniversary parade was attended by the Chief of Staff, the Deputy Chief of Staff, Members of the Air Force Board of Management, the Vice Chancellor of KDU, senior officers and Government officials.

The subsequent commemorative stamp launching ceremony and the unveiling of the Air and Space Power Doctrine – 3rd Edition, held at Astra Cinema, were attended by the Chief of Staff, the Deputy Chief of Staff, Members of the Air Force Board of Management, senior officers and other distinguished guests.

In addition, the opening of Mobile Dental Service facility was attended by the Commander of the Sri Lanka Air Force, the Chief of Staff, the Director General Health Services and dental experts of the Sri Lanka Air Force.