Air Force to buy four surveillance drones from Israel for Rs 4.26 billion

The Sri Lanka Air Force will purchase four unmanned aerial vehicles from Israel at a cost of Rs 4,261 million to strengthen maritime surveillance and disaster relief operations, Deputy Defence Minister Aruna Jayasekera has told Parliament.

Describing it as an emergency procurement, the minister said the deal has been structured so that no additional government funds are required. It will be carried out on a government-to-government basis through BlueBird Aero Systems, a company in which Israel Aerospace Industries holds a stake.

The drones will be used to monitor the island's exclusive economic zone, detect suspicious vessels, search for fishermen reported missing at sea, and support operations during floods and cyclones.

Two of the four aircraft are ThunderB models capable of flying continuously for up to 14 hours. The remaining two can stay airborne for up to 20 hours and can take off and land vertically from confined spaces.

The cost will be met from savings within the Air Force's existing helicopter maintenance allocation, reallocated under Financial Regulation 66, so no fresh funding has been requested, the minister said. The package also includes pilot and operator training and three years of maintenance support.