By The Pulseline News Desk
Sri Lanka reportedly plans to procure four advanced unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) from Israel at a cost of Rs. 4.261 billion to strengthen maritime surveillance, monitor suspicious vessels and improve the country’s capacity to respond to natural disasters.
Deputy Minister of Defence Aruna Jayasekera has told Parliament that the proposed acquisition would be carried out through an emergency government-to-government procurement arrangement involving BlueBird Aero Systems, in which Israel Aerospace Industries holds an equity stake.
The drones are expected to play a significant role in monitoring Sri Lanka’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), which covers approximately 517,000 square kilometres, an area around 27 times larger than the country’s landmass.
The systems will be used to track suspicious maritime movements, locate missing fishermen and support disaster response operations during emergencies such as floods and cyclones.
Jayasekera has said the acquisition was necessary given the substantial costs involved in maintaining continuous maritime surveillance using conventional aircraft operated by the Sri Lanka Air Force.
“The Sri Lanka Air Force is responsible for monitoring a large maritime area, and continuous surveillance using conventional aircraft is very costly. Therefore, we are proposing to acquire these unmanned aerial systems,” he has said.
Four aircraft under revised arrangement
The proposed fleet will include two ThunderB UAVs, which have an operational endurance of up to 14 hours, while the remaining aircraft will have endurance capabilities of up to 20 hours.
The systems are designed to operate with vertical or short take-off capabilities, allowing them to function from locations with limited runway infrastructure.
The procurement package will also include operational training and three years of maintenance support.
Jayasekera has said the revised arrangement would provide Sri Lanka with four UAVs, compared with the two units initially envisaged during earlier negotiations.
The expanded acquisition is expected to improve the Air Force’s ability to maintain prolonged surveillance over the country’s extensive maritime territory without relying exclusively on conventional aircraft.
No additional Treasury allocation
The Deputy Minister has stressed that the procurement would not require additional funding from the Government.
He has said the Rs. 4.261 billion expenditure would be financed by redirecting funds previously allocated for helicopter maintenance within the Sri Lanka Air Force, under Financial Regulation 66.
“Within the Air Force, the funds saved from maintenance costs previously allocated for helicopters will be utilised for this purpose. Therefore, there is no additional cost being requested or newly allocated,” he has told Parliament.
The Government is presenting the acquisition as a reallocation of existing defence expenditure rather than a request for fresh Treasury funding.
Agreement targeted for December
The proposed procurement must first receive parliamentary approval before proceeding through the remaining administrative and legal processes.
Jayasekera has said that following parliamentary approval, the agreement would be examined by the Attorney General’s Department and subsequently submitted to the Cabinet for consideration.
The Government is targeting December to sign the agreement.
The acquisition would mark a significant expansion of Sri Lanka’s unmanned surveillance capabilities, particularly in monitoring its maritime boundaries and responding to emergencies across its extensive Exclusive Economic Zone.
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