AIRCRAFT DESTROYED INSIDE THE HANGAR AT THE SLAF BASE IN ANURADHAPURA:
Two Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). These were brand new and were yet to be included in the Air Force inventory. They had been brought for acceptance trials "without obligation" by the Israeli supplier, Blue Horizon.
One Mi-17 troop transport helicopter. It is virtually reduced to ashes with only bigger parts remaining.
Four Chinese built PT-6 basic trainers.
AIRCRAFT DESTROYED NEAR THE RUNWAY (OUTSIDE THE HANGAR):
One US built Beechcraft 200. This was originally purchased in 1985 as a VIP transport aircraft. In 1995, it was modified into a surveillance aircraft with expensive equipment being installed. They included costly cameras and other sophisticated devices. Contrary to a foreign media outlet, which misquoted me, the loss of this aircraft does not hamper deep-sea naval operations. However, it very badly hampers aerial surveillance activity over deep seas. Inputs from such surveillance helped in naval operations in a very large measure.
One Chinese built K-8 intermediate jet trainer.
One Mil Mi-24 helicopter gun ship.
The above aircraft/helicopters which have been completely destroyed are a loss to the Air Force. There were also aircraft, both serviceable and unserviceable, that have been damaged. Highly placed Air Force sources I spoke to said only some of them could be reclaimed. Others will be a further loss. Thus, the exact number of aircraft/helicopters which the Air Force will not have will be known only when its Commander, Air Marshal Roshan Goonetileke, writes to the Ministry of Defence, asking permission to "write off" aircraft from his inventory. Here are the other details:
AIRCRAFT DAMAGED INSIDE THE HANGAR:
One Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) belonging to SLAF.
Three PT-6 basic trainer aircraft.
Five K-8 intermediate jet trainer aircraft. In some of these trainer aircraft the glass canopy has melted and the metal warped. In addition, some had the wing stripped off with only parts of the frame remaining.
Four unserviceable Italian built Siai Marchetti (Warrior) propeller driven bombers.
AIRCRAFT DAMAGED ALONGSIDE THE RUNWAY:
One Mil Mi-24 helicopter gunship
AIRCRAFT THAT WERE NOT AFFECTED AND COMPLETELY SAFE:
Three Mil Mi-17 troop transport helicopters. They were parked a distance away from the scene of fighting.
The cost of the losses at the airbase could be anything above an estimated US$ 30 million or over three billion rupees. That is based on prices paid years earlier. However, the replacement prices would be very much higher. This is not only because the prices have since gone up. In addition, the rupee equivalent to the dollar has also risen.
Two important facts relating to the guerrilla attack on the airbase are glaring. There is no doubt that the guerrillas have been receiving up-to-date intelligence on the lay- out and goings on at the airbase. There was inside information. It is this fact that helped them not only to plan the attack but also to repeatedly practise it in their hideouts in the Wanni using sand models. How the guerrillas received such intelligence becomes a critical question.
TO READ WHOLE
http://www.sundaytimes.lk/071028/Columns/sitreport.html
