No. 9 "Attack Helicopter" Squadron is a

squadron Squadron may refer to: * Squadron (army), a military unit of cavalry, tanks, or equivalent subdivided into troops or tank companies * Squadron (aviation), a military unit that consists of three or four flights with a total of 12 to 24 aircraft, de ...

of the

Sri Lanka Air Force The Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) ( si, ශ්‍රි ලංකා ගුවන් හමුදාව, Śrī Laṃkā guwan hamudāva; ta, இலங்கை விமானப்படை, Ilaṅkai vimāṉappaṭai) is the air arm and the yo ...

. It currently operates the air force's fleet of

Attack Helicopter An attack helicopter is an armed helicopter with the primary role of an attack aircraft, with the offensive capability of engaging ground targets such as enemy infantry, military vehicles and fortifications. Due to their heavy armament they ...

Mil Mi-24 The Mil Mi-24 (russian: Миль Ми-24; NATO reporting name: Hind) is a large helicopter gunship, attack helicopter and low-capacity troop transport with room for eight passengers. It is produced by Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant and has been ...

Mil Mi-35 The Soviet and later Russian Mil Mi-24 helicopter has been produced in many variants, as described below. History In 1966, Soviet aircraft designer Mikhail Mil created a mock-up design of a new helicopter (derived from the Mil Mi-8) which was m ...

s and Mi-17Sh s from

SLAF Hingurakgoda SLAF may refer to *The Sri Lanka Armed Forces, the combined military of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka **The Sri Lanka Air Force The Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) ( si, ශ්‍රි ලංකා ගුවන් හමුදාව ...

for

Close Air Support In military tactics, close air support (CAS) is defined as air action such as air strikes by fixed or rotary-winged aircraft against hostile targets near friendly forces and require detailed integration of each air mission with fire and moveme ...

. The squadron is tasked with close air support/battlefield air interdiction,

air interdiction Air interdiction (AI), also known as deep air support (DAS), is the use of preventive tactical bombing and strafing by combat aircraft against enemy targets that are not an immediate threat, to delay, disrupt or hinder later enemy engagement of fr ...

, maritime air operations, armed escort missions and air defence operations. In March 2009, the squadron was presented with the President’s Colours.Presentation of President's Colours to SLAF Formations
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History

The squadron was formed on November 24, 1995 at the SLAF Base Hingurakgoda with three leased

attack helicopters with . At its formation the squadron had five pilots, 26 engineering crew. In 1996 the leased aircraft were returned and new ones were bought. In 2000 Mi-35Ps were added to the fleet. The Squadron currently operates a mix of Mi-24/-35P and Mi-24V/-35 versions. They have recently been upgraded with modern

Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...

FLIR Forward-looking infrared (FLIR) cameras, typically used on military and civilian aircraft, use a thermographic camera that senses infrared radiation. The sensors installed in forward-looking infrared cameras, as well as those of other thermal ...

and

electronic warfare Electronic warfare (EW) is any action involving the use of the electromagnetic spectrum (EM spectrum) or directed energy to control the spectrum, attack an enemy, or impede enemy assaults. The purpose of electronic warfare is to deny the opponen ...

systems. Five were upgraded to intercept aircraft by adding radar, fully functional helmet mounted target tracking systems, and AAMs. Seven Mi-24 List of Sri Lanka Air Force aircraft losses during the Sri Lankan Civil War, have been destroyed to LTTE

MANPADs Man-portable air-defense systems (MANPADS or MPADS) are portable surface-to-air missiles. They are guided weapons and are a threat to low-flying aircraft, especially helicopters. Overview MANPADS were developed in the 1950s to provide military ...

& anti aircraft guns, and another two lost in attacks on airbases, with one heavily damaged but later returned to service. In March 2009, the squadron was presented with the President’s Colours.

Aircraft operated

Year of introduction *

- 1995 *

- 2000 *

Mil Mi-17 The Mil Mi-17 ( NATO reporting name: Hip) is a Soviet-designed Russian military helicopter family introduced in 1975 (Mi-8M), continuing in production at two factories, in Kazan and Ulan-Ude. It is known as the Mi-8M series in Russian servic ...

Sh - 2013

Notable members

Wing Commander Wing commander (Wg Cdr in the RAF, the IAF, and the PAF, WGCDR in the RNZAF and RAAF, formerly sometimes W/C in all services) is a senior commissioned rank in the British Royal Air Force and air forces of many countries which have historical ...

Tyronne Silvapulle Wing Commander Tyron D. S. Silvapulle, PWV, RWP, RWP (also referred to as Tyrone Silvapulle, born 22 July 1966 and died 17 December 1999) was a Sri Lankan pilot. He distinguished himself as a capable helicopter pilot in the Sri Lanka Air Force d ...

Parama Weera Vibhushanaya __NOTOC__ The Parama Weera Vibhushanaya (PWV) ( Sinhala: පරම වීර වීභූෂණය ''parama vīra vibhūṣaṇaya''; Tamil: பரம வீர விபுஷனைய) is Sri Lanka's highest military decoration, awarded for a ...

recipient *

Group Captain Group captain is a senior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force, where it originated, as well as the air forces of many countries that have historical British influence. It is sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank i ...

Jagath Rodrigo - First Commanding Officer- 24.11.95 to 23.10.2000 *

Thilina Kaluarachchi, WWV, RWP and bar, RSP and bar - First Instructor Pilot, No. 9 Attack Helicopter Squadron. * Wing Commander Wanigasooriya. * Squadron Leader Channa Dissanayake * Squadron Leader Priyamal Fernando * Squadron Leader Deshapriya Silva * Squadron Leader Nipuna Thanippuliarachchi * Squadron Leader TN Deen * Squadron Leader Amal Wahid - (1999 -2009) - (WWV, RWP, 5BAR-RSP). * Squadron Leader Anurudha Mallasekare * Squadron Leader Danesh Gunasekara * Squadron Leader Bandu Edirisinghe. * Squadron Leader Lasantha Kodithuakku * Flying Officer Atiq * Flying Officer Ashrof Dole - First Volunteer and youngest Attack Helicopter Pilot to serve. * Flying Officer Nuwan Kadurugamuwa - First Forward Supply Officer. * Wing Commander MDAP Payoe RSP, Commanding Officer- 24.10.2000 to 13.12.2004 * Wing Commander RMPRS Dharmawardena RWP, RSP, Commanding Officer- 14.12.2004 to 26.12.2006 * Wing Commander HSS Thuyacontha- Commanding officer- 26.12.2006 to 22.09.2009 * Wing Commander IMYA Bandara RSP- Commanding Officer- 22.09.2009 to 06.07.2010 * Wing Commander Thushara Weeraratne - Commanding Officer - 06.07.2010 to 31.12.2013 * Group Captain IMYA Bandara RSP - Commanding Officer - 01.01.2014 to 01.03.2014 * Wing Commander Deshapriya Silva - Commanding Officer - 02.03.2014 to 01.01.2015 * Group Captain Channa Dissanayake - Commanding Officer - 01.01.2015 to date. Officer Commanding Maintenance * Wing Commander Nilantha Udukala - First Officer Commanding Maintenance * Wing Commander Palitha Satharasinghe * Wing Commander Malinda Perera * Squadron Leader Sanjaya Thotahewage * Squadron Leader Titus Pieris * Squadron Leader Chandana Liyanage * Squadron Leader Dushan Wijesinghe * Squadron Leader Bandara Sumanasekera * Squadron Leader Saluka Liyanagunawardana * Squadron Leader Lasantha Gunasinghe

References

Restructure of Flying Squadrons

External links

Ruling the sky Spirit of 'The Hinds'!
{{DEFAULTSORT:No. 9 Squadron Slaf Military units and formations established in 1995 9