The United States Government will transfer 10 TH-57 Sea Ranger helicopters to the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF), with the first batch expected to arrive in February, the Sri Lankan Embassy in Washington D.C. announced.
Transferred under a bilateral cooperation programme, the helicopters will enhance SLAF capabilities in training, surveillance, and operational support. The TH-57 Sea Ranger, a military variant of the Bell 206B-3 Jet Ranger, has a long service history with the United States Navy and other U.S. services since 1968.
The induction aligns well with SLAF operations, as the force has flown Bell 206 helicopters since 1969. U.S. officials described the transfer as another milestone in U.S.–Sri Lanka defence cooperation, strengthening regional security, disaster preparedness and humanitarian response.
