A journey revisited from Mavil Aru to Puthumathalan

Wg. Cdr. J. A. NANAYAKKARA

Never before in its history has the SLAF been tested to its limits of performance, and strengths and never before has it performed with so much vigour and commitment and achieved this amount of success. The journey from Mavil Aru to Pudumatalan for the SLAF was long and arduous but fulfilling, and the team kept the ensign flying at dizzying heights.

At the commencement of the humanitarian operations, the first to go in were the trusted work horses of the No 06 squadron (sqn) - the MI 17, transport helicopters. Ferrying troops and equipment into battle, and replenishing them. The, tested and faithful Bell 212's of No 07 flying out of Anuradhapura and Vavuniya were always at hand, evacuating casualties and carrying them to hospitals. The Mig 27's of 12 sqn, the Kfirs of 10 and the F 7's of No 05 followed soon, providing close air support to the advancing troops.

Deadly arsenal

Pressed in to service at short notice, but brimming with skill, courage and determination the men and their machines blasted passages for their brethren on the ground to forge forward. The MI 24's, of the No 9 sqn followed next, flying low out of the horizon , disgorging their deadly arsenal of 80mm rockets with uncanny precision , whilst strafing the illusive enemy out of his strong points with their deadly 23 mm 'Pushkai', 30mm 'Gash' and 12.7 mm 'Gatling' guns.

Rarely spoken of, the 'lords of loads', the No 2 sqn, with its An 32-B's and the giant C130, Hercules, carried troops, and cargo round the clock. The men flying the UAV's from ground stations pushed both the machines and themselves, upto safety limits to ensure real time imagery was available, throughout. These men who flew the 'Eyes and Ears' in the sky, burnt hours of midnight, oil, and rubbed their bleary eyes to peer into screens, to catch the enemy's moves on the ground.

Worked tirelessly

The pilots and crew of the Beachcraft (King 200) veiled in the clouds of secrecy, as thick as the clouds in the, high skies they fly in, flew and worked tirelessly to relay information to the decision-makers on the ground.

As the nation was deep in slumber those men cooped up in the confines of the Beachcraft depended on coffee and sandwiches for sustenance whilst flying sorties lasting more than six hours each at heights above twenty thousand feet.

Their story too may never be told, like the many meals they missed. The technicians and ground crews focused their untiring energy to achieve, things beyond reality. Battle damages or unserviceability did not effect efficiency, aircraft were promptly returned to the flight lines after repairs in record time. Innovation and ingenuity of these crews kept the aircraft in readiness throughout.

The SLAF team "had begun ticking and soon, the 'team' led by a seasoned campaigner, supported by a dedicated 'core' was clicking to harmonious perfection.

New threat

The SLAF role thus far defined needed to be reviewed with the entry of the LTTE's light fixed wing aircraft into the fray. An Air Defence Network comprising surveillance radars, interceptor aircraft, surface to air missiles and air defence guns was established to meet the new threat. Established at short notice, challenged immediately the network of radars, interceptors, surface to air missiles and anti aircraft guns, were at hard work.

The first taste of success was when an F-7 interceptor of the 05 sqn intercepted and destroyed an LTTE Zlin 143 over Mulaitivu. Finally the gunners of No 32 Land Based Air Defence Wing shot down the two LTTE flying bombs before they carried out their design of carnage.

The humanitarian operations, by now had extended beyond the banks of the Mavil Aru, Sampoor, Vakarai and the jungles of the Thoppigala had been liberated.

The advance now was on multiple fronts and in more than one theatre. The SLAF resources needed to be deployed thriftily to support these multiple fronted advances. Subsequent to the Mavil Aru, expedition the SLAF commenced the systematic destruction of the LTTE's war fighting capability, through forays by Mig 27, Kfirs, and F 7s', far behind the front lines (interdiction missions).

Leadership plagued

Training camps, supply dumps, boat building yards, munitions dumps, and concealed Sea Tiger vessels faced the brunt of these attacks. Precision strikes, literally surgical, ensured that training during day came to a standstill, thus resulting in reinforcements to the Tiger front lines being severely affected. Logistics and other infrastructural activity were engaged, swiftly.

The leadership already plagued by the elite LRRP's, on ground found themselves now threatened from the sky. The Tigers found to their dismay, that their attempt to derail the SLAF juggernaut by the attack on the Anuradhapura Air Base had dismally failed when the Kfir's of No 10, and Mig 27's of No 12 took out Thamil Chelvam, the defacto political wing leader, and followed it up with many strikes deep in the belly of the Tiger areas. Meanwhile, the 'Braves' of the No 9 sqn, flying their Mi24 Hind's constantly zeroed in on points resisting the advances of the three fighting Divisions and the Task Forces.

Night operations

The men of these Divisions speak with pride and appreciation, of the 'close air support' provided by this form of airborne armour, in their time of need, when resistance was fierce and advance was stalled. The dangers faced and experienced throughout this campaign, by the men in the 'Hinds' may never be told and may remain on a dusty shelves holding classified documents forever. Flying the MI 24 on night operations is a manoeuvre not attempted by many Air Forces flying MI-24's. Among the many distinctions the men of this hold is the fact that they perfected the art of night operations with the 'Hind'. Thus close air support was provided continuously, during day and night even in unfavourable weather.

Becomes operational

In the melee, the SLAF Regiment, the infantry element of the SLAF was called upon to hold vast areas of the land of the Western Vanni and around Trincomalee to relieve, the army's infantryman from the holding role to join the fighting divisions.

This required vast quantities of resources in men and material to be released. The Regimental Special forces or the SLAF Special Forces element too became operational during this period.

The Mig 27's were flying sorties continuously, revealing in the roles of interdiction, and close air support. These stout, swept wing birds of prey, had now been mastered to perfection by the pilots of 12 sqn.

They developed their own tactics and manoeuvres, and hold the proud distinction of being the only ones of the many users of Mig27s' to fly night operations.

Blamed as a bad 'buy' at one time these machines which carried the biggest pay load will be remembered for its shrill engine sound when flying in low, to pound the enemy positions, and the destructive power that followed. Flying low at supersonic speeds the threats and dangers these men faced might never be revealed.

Unforgettable

The Kfirs, though ageing were up to the task, surgical precision being their forte. The pilots of the 10 sqn hold the unequalled distinction of knocking out the most number of LTTE Artillery pieces and Sea Tiger attack boats. The Israeli built 'Lion Cub' has now served the nation through thirteen years.

The men who mastered the machines will be remembered for ever for those precision strikes that broke the spinal cord of the enemy.

The F-7 Chinese built interceptors first came into service in 1992, and now are mostly used in their dedicated role.

The 5 sqn which flies these supersonic predators holds the unique distinction of having scored the first and only air to air kill, over Sri Lankan soil, after World War two when it shot down an LTTE Zlin 143 aircraft over Mulaitivu. They will constantly stand vigil with its surface to surface capability to intercept and destroy any intruders in our air space.

To be continued