Australia to gift Beechcraft KA350 King Air aircraft to Sri Lanka

The Australian Government has announced that it will gift a former Royal Australian Air Force Beechcraft KA350 King Air aircraft (registration A32-673) to the Sri Lankan Government to enhance Sri Lanka’s sovereign aerial maritime surveillance capability, President Media Division said. 

This was conveyed to President Ranil Wickremesinghe when an Australian delegation led by the Australian High Commissioner Paul Stephens met the President at the Presidential Secretariat last Friday. 

The gift of the aircraft is part of the Australian Government’s commitment to strengthening and enhancing the cooperation and collaboration that is the foundation of the strong bilateral relationship between Australia and Sri Lanka, PMD said. 

A key focus of this relationship remains the continued cooperation on countering all forms of transnational crime, including drug smuggling, as well as strengthening border management through intelligence sharing and the deterrence, disruption, interception and return of maritime people smuggling ventures under the border security operation known as Operation Sovereign Borders.

Following the Australian Minister for Home Affairs’ visit to Sri Lanka in June last year, the Department of Home Affairs has driven forward a number of new initiatives in these areas, in partnership with a number of Sri Lankan Government departments. In pursuing these initiatives, Australia has emphasised the importance of supporting Sri Lanka to develop sovereign capabilities.