India congratulates SL Air Force on first ever commissioning of female pilots

Indian today extended its felicitation to Sri Lanka Air Force on the first ever commissioning of two women pilots.

The India High Commission said in a statement the commissioning of Flying Officers ADPL Gunarathne and RT Weerawardana as first ever women pilots in Sri Lanka Air Force on November 16 is a matter of great pride and happiness notably for Sri Lanka but also for India.

It said both the officers were trained in the 204th Pilot Course of the Indian Air Force Academy at Hyderabad from July 2018 to June 2019.

"Training has been one of the strongest pillars of bilateral defence cooperation between India and Sri Lanka. More than half of military training slots in India for foreign countries are provided to Sri Lanka," the High Commission said.

"Annually, over 1200 personnel from Sri Lankan Armed Forces undergo training in India. Of these, nearly 250 are from Sri Lanka Air Force. The joint training inculcates camaraderie and prepares the bedrock for cooperation between India and Sri Lanka to safeguard our common security interests and contribute to regional peace and security," it added.