Sri Lanka to buy four Israeli-made drones in $12.8 million defense deal
BlueBird Aero Systems, in which Israel Aerospace Industries holds an equity stake, will supply the aircraft under a planned government-to-government agreement. They will help the Sri Lankan Air Force monitor a maritime zone 27 times larger than the country's landmass.
Israeli defense company BlueBird Aero Systems is set to supply Sri Lanka with four unmanned aircraft in a 4.26 billion rupee (approximately $12.8 million) procurement aimed at strengthening the country's maritime surveillance and disaster response capabilities. The deal, conducted on an emergency government-to-government basis, will involve BlueBird, in which Israel Aerospace Industries holds an equity stake.
The planned acquisition will give the Sri Lankan Air Force additional tools to monitor an exclusive economic zone spanning 517,000 square kilometers, an area 27 times larger than the country's landmass. The aircraft will be used to track suspicious vessels, locate missing fishermen and assist in responding to natural disasters, including floods and cyclones.
The procurement also reflects the cost of maintaining a continuous surveillance presence over such a vast maritime area. Deputy Defense Minister Aruna Jayasekera told parliament this week that relying on conventional aircraft for the task was expensive, prompting the government to turn to unmanned systems.
"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," Jayasekera said.
The fleet will include two ThunderB aircraft, capable of remaining airborne for up to 14 hours, and two additional aircraft with endurance of up to 20 hours. Their vertical or short take-off capabilities will allow them to operate in locations with limited runway infrastructure.
The deal also includes operational training and three years of maintenance support. Sri Lanka had initially expected to acquire only two units under earlier discussions, but the revised arrangement doubles the planned purchase to four.
The government says the procurement will not require additional state funding. Instead, it plans to redirect money previously allocated for Air Force helicopter maintenance, using savings under Financial Regulation 66.
"Within the Air Force, the funds saved from maintenance costs previously allocated for helicopters will be utilized for this purpose. Therefore, there is no additional cost being requested or newly allocated," Jayasekera said.
The purchase has not yet been finalized. Following parliamentary approval, the agreement will be reviewed by the Attorney General's Department before being submitted to the Cabinet. The government is targeting a signing in December.
