Royal Ceylon Air Force

Royal Ceylon Air Force

The early administration and training was carried out by RAF officers and other personnel, who were seconded to the Royal Ceylon Air Force (RCyAF). The first aircraft of the Royal Ceylon Air Force were de Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunks used as basic trainers. These were followed by Boulton Paul Balliol T.Mk.2s and Airspeed Oxford Mk.1s for advanced training of pilots and aircrew along with de Havilland Doves and de Havilland Herons for transport use, all provided by the British. By 1955 the Royal Ceylon Air Force was operating two flying squadrons based at RAF Negombo. The first helicopter type to be added to the service was the Westland Dragonfly. These were supplemented in the 1960s with various other aircraft, most notably 2 Westland Whirlwind helicopters meant for search and rescue and casualty evacuation and 2 Scottish Aviation Twin Pioneer STOL transport aircraft gifted by the United Kingdom.

In 1959 the Royal Ceylon Air Force acquired 8 de Havilland Vampire jet fighters which formed the No. 5 "Jet" Squadron. In 1961, 12 BAC Jet Provost jet-powered trainer aircraft where obtained from the British, which were formed into No. 10 "Jet" Squadron.

The Royal Ceylon Air Force first went into combat in 1971 when the People’s Liberation Front who wanted independent nation free of British control launched an island-wide insurrection on April 5th. The Ceylon Armed Forces were caught off guard; police stations island-wide and RAF and RCyAF base were attacked in the initial wave. Responding rapidly the RCyAF deployed its aircraft, at first to resupply besieged police stations and military outposts and patrol around major cities. The Havilland Vampire and Jet Provosts were used to carrying out attacks on insurgents. During this insurgency the Ceylon government turned to the United Kingdom for more aircraft and as a result the United Kingdom sold then 12 Hawker Hunter fighters as well as four Westland Wessex helicopters which replaced the two Westland Whirlwind helicopters in service with the Royal Ceylon Air Force. The RAF's heavy transports also flew in six Sioux AH.1 helicopters, which were put in to combat as soon as possible. Air Force personnel joined in ground operations, and when the insurgents surrendered after about a month's fighting the Royal Ceylon Air Force was in charge of three of the many rehabilitation camps setup for insurgents.

When In 1972 the Royal Ceylon Air Force took over RAF base Katunayake the only RAF air base left in the Dominion of Ceylon was RAF base China Bay, this was mainly due the British Royal Air Force redeploying most of its air power to the Dominion of Singapore, leaving RAF base China Bay as a refueling stopover and staging post/transit point for Royal Air Force aircraft.

In 1974 the Royal Ceylon Air Force decided to sell the 8 Havilland Vampire jet fighters and to replace them with 12 Hawker Hunter fighter aircrafts, a type of aircraft which was already serving with the No. 15 Jet Squadron. The Royal Ceylon Air Force also changed the No. 10 Jet Squadron status from an active fighter squadron into a jet training squadron.

From the period 1975 to 1978, the Royal Ceylon Air Force acquired 11 Bell UH-1 Iroquois helicopters from the United states of America which replaced the 6 Sioux AH.1 helicopters, 4 Hawker Siddeley HS 748 transport aircrafts which were transferred by the state-owned airline company Air Ceylon to the Royal Ceylon Air Force and 6 Scottish Aviation Bulldog basic trainer aircrafts. Current Royal Ceylon Air Force flying squadrons as of 1982

No. 1 Flying Training Wing, operates 12 Mk.2s Boulton Paul Balliol advanced trainer aircrafts and 6 Scottish Aviation Bulldog basic trainer aircrafts.

No. 2 Heavy Transport Squadron, operates 4 Hawker Siddeley HS 748 transport aircrafts and 2 Scottish Aviation Twin Pioneer STOL transport aircrafts.

No. 4 Helicopter Squadron, operates 4 Westland Wessex helicopters and 11 Bell UH-1 Iroquois helicopters.

No. 5 Jet Fighter Squadron, operates 12 Hawker Hunter fighter aircrafts.

No. 10 Jet Training Squadron, operates 12 BAC Jet Provost jet-powered trainer aircrafts.

No. 15 Jet Fighter Squadron, operates 12 Hawker Hunter fighter aircrafts.