COLOMBO: A Sri Lankan Air Force helicopter crashed during a graduation ceremony on Friday, plunging into a reservoir and killing six of the 12 people on board, a military official said.
The personnel were preparing for a grappling demonstration when their Bell 212 careened into the reservoir at the Maduru Oya national park, the official told AFP.
“There were 12 people on board, and six of them survived with minor injuries,” said the official, who declined to be named.
Those killed included four special forces commandos and two Air Force gunners.
The survivors were admitted to hospital.
The crash took place halfway through the ceremony in Maduru Oya, nearly 300 kilometers (187 miles) east of Colombo.
After a slew of parades, the chopper crew were expected to perform a “fast-roping” maneuver, showcasing their skills in descending from the helicopter while it hovered just above roof height.
After the crash, the graduation ceremony was called off and an investigation into the cause of the incident was launched.
“The Commander of the Air Force has appointed a special nine-member committee to conduct a detailed investigation,” the military said in a statement.
The Air Force operates a small fleet of Bell, Mi-17, and Mi-24 helicopters. Much of the Mi-24 attack helicopter fleet has been grounded since the end of the country’s protracted Tamil separatist war in May 2009.
Friday’s tragedy is the worst for the Air Force since a Chinese-built Y-12 aircraft crashed at Haputale in January 2020, killing all four crew members on board.
In September 2000, an Mi-17 helicopter crashed in central Sri Lanka, killing all 15 people on board — including the country’s then top Muslim political leader — making it the worst helicopter crash in the island’s history.
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Sri Lanka helicopter crash kills six military personnel
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Sri Lanka helicopter crash kills six military personnel
- The crash took place halfway through the ceremony in Maduru Oya, nearly 300 kilometers (187 miles) east of Colombo
- Friday’s tragedy is the worst for the Air Force since a Chinese-built Y-12 aircraft crashed at Haputale in January 2020
Australian defense minister to visit Japan as ‘strategic alignment’ grows
SYDNEY: Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles will travel to Japan on Saturday to meet his counterpart, Koizumi Shinjiro, and discuss deepening defense ties, his office said on Friday.
Australia wanted to engage early with the new government of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, Australian officials said, noting the two countries had a “shared vision for our region” and were working to respond to increasingly complex global challenges.
“Our relationship with Japan continues to grow from strength to strength – underpinned by close strategic alignment, mutual ambition and enormous potential,” Marles said in a statement ahead of the two-day visit.
Japan and China are in their worst diplomatic crisis in years, after Takaichi said last month in parliament that a hypothetical Chinese attack on democratically governed Taiwan could trigger a military response from Tokyo.
Australia awarded a A$10 billion ($6.5 billion) contract to Japanese company Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in August to build warships for Australia, marking Tokyo’s most consequential defense sale since ending a military export ban in 2014 as it steps away from postwar pacifism.
Australia plans to deploy the Mogami-class frigates to defend critical maritime trade routes and its northern approaches in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, where China’s military footprint is expanding.
Marles is expected to travel next week to Washington, to meet with the US and British defense ministers and discuss the AUKUS nuclear powered submarine partnership.
The Pentagon has completed its review of the AUKUS project to provide Australia with nuclear-powered submarines and has found areas to put the deal on the “strongest possible footing,” a US official said on Thursday.
Australian officials said on Monday an overhaul of the defense department will see naval shipbuilding sped up.
Australia wanted to engage early with the new government of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, Australian officials said, noting the two countries had a “shared vision for our region” and were working to respond to increasingly complex global challenges.
“Our relationship with Japan continues to grow from strength to strength – underpinned by close strategic alignment, mutual ambition and enormous potential,” Marles said in a statement ahead of the two-day visit.
Japan and China are in their worst diplomatic crisis in years, after Takaichi said last month in parliament that a hypothetical Chinese attack on democratically governed Taiwan could trigger a military response from Tokyo.
Australia awarded a A$10 billion ($6.5 billion) contract to Japanese company Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in August to build warships for Australia, marking Tokyo’s most consequential defense sale since ending a military export ban in 2014 as it steps away from postwar pacifism.
Australia plans to deploy the Mogami-class frigates to defend critical maritime trade routes and its northern approaches in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, where China’s military footprint is expanding.
Marles is expected to travel next week to Washington, to meet with the US and British defense ministers and discuss the AUKUS nuclear powered submarine partnership.
The Pentagon has completed its review of the AUKUS project to provide Australia with nuclear-powered submarines and has found areas to put the deal on the “strongest possible footing,” a US official said on Thursday.
Australian officials said on Monday an overhaul of the defense department will see naval shipbuilding sped up.
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