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Long after MiGs were removed from active service, mothballed fighter handed over to Moratuwa University

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Air Force Commander Air Marshal Sudarshana Pathirana and other senior SLAF officers stand next to the MiG donated to the University of Moratuwa(pic courtesy SLAF)

Air Force Commander Air Marshal Sudarshana Pathirana recemt;u handed over a MiG-27 fighter aircraft (MiGs comprising the famed No 10 squadron has been removed from active service) on 20 December 2021 to the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Moratuwa (UOM), Senior Professor Niranjan Gunawardana, to promote the Aeronautical Engineering Degree program.

In addition, a formal Memorandum of Understanding was also signed between the Commander (on behalf of the Air Force) and Vice-Chancellor (on behalf of the University of Moratuwa) to further solidify the long standing partnership.

On behalf of the Air Force, the official ceremony was also attended by the Director Aeronautical Engineering, Air Vice Marshal Dushyantha Ratnayake, Deputy Director Aeronautical, Engineering Air Commodore Ranjith Senanayake, Deputy Director Engineering, Air Commodore Nihal Jayasinghe as well as the Base Commander SLAF Base Ratmalana Group Captain Asela Jayasekara. On behalf of the University of Moratuwa, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Senior Professor Mahanama, Dean, Faculty of Engineering, Senior Professor Nalin Wickramarachchi, Head of Department of Mechanical Engineering, Dr. Himan Punchihewa, as well as other academic and non-academic staff including Prof. Ruwan Gopura, Prof. Nirosh Jayaweera and Dr. Saliya Jayasekara and students from the Aeronautical Engineering degree programme attended the event.

During the ceremony, the tremendous assistance rendered by the Sri Lanka Air Force over the years towards the establishment of the Aeronautical Engineering Degree programme at the University was greatly appreciated. The Commander also highlighted that it was an honor to be able to donate a fighter aircraft that provided yeoman service to the nation, to the University to continue to serve the nation by being an invaluable educational aid for aspiring aeronautical engineers of the country. Addressing the event, the Vice-Chancellor (UOM) extended his gratitude to the Commander of the Air Force being the highest rank military officer to visit the University for such an important donation to uplift the aeronautical engineering knowledge of young aviation engineers.

Both parties agreed that they look forward to continuing this partnership between the most sort after premier Engineering University in the country and Sri Lanka’s Guardians of the Skies, the SLAF, for decades to come, especially in the spheres of research and development such as the development of the “Lihiniya” Indigenous UAV System.



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Department of Irrigation extends flood warnings issued to the basin areas of the Nilwala, Kalu and Gin rivers

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[File pic] The sand bank at the river mouth of the Nilwala river being cleared (pic Matara District Media Unit)

The Amber flood warnings issued by the Hydrology and Disaster Management Division of the Department of Irrigation for the basins of the Nilwala, Gin and  Kalu Rivers  and the sub basin of the Kuda Ganga  which is a tributary of the Kalu Ganga at 9.00am on Friday(28) has been extended for another twenty four (24) hours and will be effective until 9.00am on Saturday (30).

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The three sacks contained over 100kg of Kerala cannabis (pic Navy)

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Crystal Methamphetamine valued at over Rs. 15 million held in Dehiwala

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