The Special Airborne Force (SABF) also known as Special Airborne Wing is the first elite special force in Sri Lanka Air Force and forms part of the
SLAF Regiment
The Sri Lanka Air Force Regiment is a specialized ground combat corps within the Sri Lanka Air Force, responsible for capturing and defending airfields and associated installations. Its members are the SLAF Regiment Officers and the airmen of oper ...
. It provides
air assault capabilities and VVIP protection. Formed out of the Administrative Regiment Branch in 1989 by
Air Vice Marshal Oliver Ranasinghe
Air Chief Marshal Oliver Matthew Ranasinghe, RWP, VSV, USP, ndc, psc was the 9th Commander of the Sri Lankan Air Force.
Educated at Dharmapala College, Pannipitiya Ranasinghe joined the Royal Ceylon Air Force on 7 February 1968 as a Ser ...
, it initially under took counter insurgency operations during the
1987–1989 JVP insurrection
The 1987–1989 JVP insurrection, also known as the 1988–1989 revolt or the JVP troubles, was an armed revolt in Sri Lanka, led by the Marxism–Leninism, Marxist–Leninist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna, against the Government of Sri Lanka. Th ...
. In the
Sri Lankan Civil War it provided VIP protection under the Chief Provost Marshal, until it was transferred to the Directorate of Ground Operations.
Role
The Special Air Borne Force performs the following roles:
* V.V.I.P and V.I.P Protection operations
* Counter Assault operations
* Counter terrorism operations
* Counter insurgency operations
* Counter penetration operations
* Military operations in urban terrain
* Special missions in rescue operations
* Special covert operations
* Sky marshal operations in domestic and international commercial flights
Training
SABF personnel are specialised in VIP Protection,
bomb disposal
Bomb disposal is an explosives engineering profession using the process by which hazardous explosive devices are rendered safe. ''Bomb disposal'' is an all-encompassing term to describe the separate, but interrelated functions in the milita ...
,
firefighting, water survival,
anti-hijack and rescue operations. Advanced training is carried out at the
Sri Lanka Army Special Force training school at
Maduruoya and
SLAF Katunayake
Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) ( si, බණ්ඩාරනායක ජාත්යන්තර ගුවන්තොටුපළ, translit=Bandāranāyaka Jātyantara Guvantoṭupaḷa; ta, பண்டாரநாயக்க ...
.
References
{{Reflist
Sri Lanka Air Force
Paratroopers
Military parachuting
Airborne units and formations of Sri Lanka
Air force ground defence units and formations
Military units and formations established in 1990
Sri Lanka Air Force Wings
Special forces of Sri Lanka