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“Deterrence through Detection” UNCLASSIFIED

29. The Dornier 228 was delivered to Sri Lanka under an agreement signed on 15
th
March 2022 during a bilateral Defence Dialogue. India provided one Dornier 228
aircraft free of charge for two years to support maritime surveillance and SAR
operations within Sri Lanka's EEZ and Search and Rescue Region. The aircraft was
th
officially handed over to Sri Lanka on 15 August 2022, signifying a milestone in the
defence cooperation between the two nations.

30. Following the induction of the Dornier 228 into SLAF operations, the SLN began
deploying its Naval Air Observers on the aircraft for maritime patrol missions within Sri
Lanka's SAOI. By working as part of joint SLAF-SLN crews, the observers provide critical
maritime expertise during aerial missions, enabling them to interpret real-time
intelligence and relay actionable information to naval assets. This coordination ensures
efficient threat identification and rapid response, reinforcing the continuous flow of
intelligence necessary for safeguarding Sri Lanka’s maritime interests.

31. Today, SLN and SLAF conduct routine, sector-based coordinated maritime

patrols. The surveillance area is divided into demarcated sectors to ensure streamlined
operations and efficient resource allocation. SLAF aircraft conduct reconnaissance
missions, monitor maritime activities, and communicate vital intelligence to SLN
operation centres via radio communication within range. This sectoral approach
facilitates real-time coordination between the two forces, optimizing their combined
operational effectiveness. Meanwhile, SLAF version of surveillance and reconnaissance
contains seven (07) large scale sectors including the littoral and contiguous zones.
These are further sub-divided into 31 sub-sectors.

Figure 2
Co-ordinated Air Surveillance Sectors

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UNCLASSIFIED “Deterrence through Detection”