Special Airborne Force


The Special Airborne Force also known as Special Airborne Wing is an elite Airborne force unit of the Sri Lanka Air Force and forms part of the SLAF Regiment. It provides air assault capabilities and VVIP protection. Formed out of the Administrative Regiment Branch in 1989 by Air Vice Marshal Oliver Ranasinghe, it initially under took counter insurgency operations during the 1987–1989 JVP insurrection. In the Sri Lankan Civil War it provided VIP protection under the Chief Provost Marshal, until it was transferred to the Directorate of Ground Operations.

Role

The Special Air Borne Force performs the following roles:
SABF personnel are specialised in VIP Protection, bomb disposal, firefighting, water survival, anti-hijack and rescue operations. Advanced training is carried out at the Sri Lanka Army Special Force training school at Maduruoya and SLAF Katunayake.