SLAF Choppers at War -Part 2

Mi-17s in the tropics

The conflict in the north of Sri Lanka unfolded in a sporadic manner. Over many years the rebel groups launched attacks on government installations and military camps, without it becoming a continuous war. Several attempts to negotiate and mediate a settlement occurred, sometimes leading to long periods of intervening peace from the 1980s through to the final stage of the ‘Long War’ in 2009.

Throughout this period the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF), underfunded and constantly losing skilled personnel to retirement, provided both logistical…