The Sri Lanka Army marked yet another milestone in its history after it formally raised its newest wing - a drone regiment - last week. The Sri Lanka army marked yet another milestone in its history after it formally raised its newest wing - a drone regiment - last week.
The 15th Drone Regiment of the Sri Lanka Artillery was setup by the Army Commander Lieutenant General Shavendra Silva at a ceremony at the Army HQ complex on Wednesday.
New unit
The new unit of these unmanned aerial vehicles is geared to prepare the Army to meet the fast changing technological advancements and new challenges which will revolutionise combat while helping in humanitarian missions.
The drones are well equipped with high tech cameras that enable operations within short and medium ranges and quadcopters with observation cameras for surveillance purposes in military and non military applications.
Trends
The Army Commander whose brainchild this new regiment is highlighted the technical importance of a regiment of this nature in the Army considering the emerging soft operation trends in conflict fronts, natural and manmade disasters, special emergency circumstances, chemical warfare and outbreak of epidemics such as Covid - 19, in his keynote address at the event. He said the new regiment will prepare the Army to face future threats, further enhancing it’s capacity to boost national security needs and concerns.
Lieutenant General Silva thanked his men and others who made this mission a success and atted that the Army’s ‘The Way Forward Strategy 2020-2025’ should go hand in hand with the technological innovations. Symbolising the inauguration the Army Commander handed over a new drone to the Colonel Commandant of the Sri Lanka Artillery and Commande.r Security Forces Kilinochchi Sampath Kotuwe goda.The guests were then privy to a display of a set of drones at the event. On the invitation of Colonel Commandant Kotuwegoda, the Army Commander launched the first Drone on a reconaissance mission in the Army HQ complex. Senior officers including chief of Staff Major General Jagath Gunawardena, Officers and other ranks took part in the brief ceremony.
