RATMALANA, Sri Lanka — The United States has transferred 10 TH-57 Sea Ranger (Bell 206) helicopters to the Sri Lanka Air Force, according to a press release issued by the U.S. Embassy in Colombo on Tuesday.
The handover took place at Ratmalana Air Force Base in the presence of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, U.S. Pacific Air Forces Commander General Kevin Schneider, and U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Paul Kapur, the embassy said.
According to the U.S. Embassy, the helicopters were transferred under the U.S. Excess Defense Articles program. The aircraft, previously operated by the U.S. Navy for pilot training and utility missions, will be used for pilot training, search-and-rescue operations, humanitarian assistance, disaster response, and maritime security activities.
In the statement, General Schneider said the aircraft would help modernize Sri Lanka’s air capabilities and train future aviators, describing the transfer as a symbol of the partnership between the two countries.
Assistant Secretary Kapur said the transfer reflected cooperation between Washington and Colombo and highlighted Sri Lanka’s location along major Indian Ocean shipping routes.
The embassy noted that the Sri Lanka Air Force already has experience operating Bell helicopter platforms and said the aircraft were transferred in mission-ready condition.
The ceremony included a static display and flying demonstration of the helicopters. According to the embassy, those in attendance included U.S. Chargé d’Affaires Jayne Howell, Deputy Minister of Defense Major General K.P. Aruna Jayasekara (Retd.), Secretary of Defense Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha (Retd.), Commander of the Sri Lanka Air Force Air Marshal Bandu Edirisinghe, Air Vice Marshal Lasitha Sumanaweera, Defense Attaché Lt. Col. Matthew House, and other Sri Lankan and U.S. officials.
The U.S. Embassy released the statement on June 23, 2026.
