News
US Embassy announces expected arrival of Beechcraft King Air 360ER to enhance Lanka’s sovereign maritime surveillance and disaster response
The US Embassy on Friday announced that the Beechcraft King Air 360ER aircraft, donated by the United States to the Sri Lanka Air Force, will arrive in Sri Lanka next week. Funded by the U.S. Department of Defence’s Building Partner Capacity program, this donation, which originated in 2019, is part of a long-term collaboration with the Sri Lanka Air Force. This advanced aircraft is designed to enhance Sri Lanka’s capabilities in search and rescue operations, drug interdiction, and combating trafficking and smuggling. It will also significantly improve the country’s maritime surveillance operations while reinforcing U.S.-Sri Lanka defence cooperation.
This $19 million U.S. Government grant includes the aircraft and support services, all provided at no cost to the Sri Lanka Air Force. The Beechcraft King Air 360ER is equipped with cutting-edge technology to boost Sri Lanka’s ability to patrol its waters and address maritime threats.
Following a training and induction period, the official handover is expected to take place later this year. As part of the collaboration, U.S. government personnel will conduct a three-month training program to ensure Sri Lanka Air Force personnel are fully equipped to operate and maintain the aircraft.
The aircraft, manufactured by Beechcraft Textron Aviation and completed in late 2022, underwent additional upgrades, including the installation of maritime patrol sensors like radar and cameras, finalized in mid-2024.
From June to August 2024, Sri Lankan Air Force personnel participated in training in Kansas and Florida to prepare for the aircraft’s arrival, which is expected next week. Once in Sri Lanka, the aircraft will undergo further training and integration at the Ratmalana Air Force base before joining Maritime Patrol Squadron 3 in China Bay, Trincomalee.
The Paddy Marketing Board has approximately 115,000 metric tonnes of paddy stocks purchased from farmers, which are currently stored in the Board’s warehouses, and it has been planned to retain a sufficient buffer stock from these reserves and sell the remaining quantity in order to provide the necessary storage space and financial resources for the purchase of paddy from farmers during the upcoming Yala season.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the resolution furnished by the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation to sell the aforementioned paddy stocks
following a formal tender procedure.
The Promotion of Export Agriculture Act, No. 46 of 1992 provides the legal provisions for regulating and promoting the export agriculture sector in this country.
Taking into consideration administrative changes and sectoral developments that have taken place over time, approval was granted at the Cabinet Meetings held on 2023-09-04 and 2025-08-11 to amend the said Act, which has not been updated for over 30 years.
The proposed amendments are intended to amend the designations of the Head of the Department of Export Agriculture and other officials, and to provide a clearer definition of the term “the export agricultural crop.”
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the resolution furnished by the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Land and Irrigation to publish in the Government Gazette the Draft Export Agriculture Promotion (Amendment) Bill, prepared in all three languages by the Legal Draftsman to amend the Export Agriculture Promotion Act, No. 46 of 1992, and thereafter submit the same to Parliament for its concurrence
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Ms. M.K.D.N. Madampe, appointed as Director General of the Department of Management Services
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Cabinet approves sale of Paddy stocks held by the Paddy Marketing Board
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