By: Rashika Hennayake

January 07, Colombo (LNW):

The United States has decided to donate 10 helicopters to Sri Lanka for use in disaster response operations. According to a post shared by US Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Julie Chung, on her official X account, the helicopters are of the TH-57 (Bell 206 Sea Ranger) type and are manufactured in Texas, United States.

The helicopters will be transferred to Sri Lanka at no cost under the Excess Defense Articles (EDA) program and are expected to arrive in the country during the first half of 2026. The Ambassador also emphasized the critical role of helicopters in search and rescue operations during natural disasters, citing events such as Cyclone Ditva.

It is expected that the addition of these 10 helicopters to the Sri Lanka Air Force will significantly strengthen its helicopter fleet, enhance pilot training capabilities, and improve the country’s overall disaster response efficiency.