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With the end of the war, and subsequently no use for the airfield it was abandoned by the RAF in 1946. [9] On 19 April 1985, the airfield was opened again for the Sri Lanka Air Force by Lalith Athulathmudali, then Minister of National Security and Deputy Minister of Defence, on the invitation of Air Marshal Donald Perera, Commander of the Air ...
SLAF Iranamadu (Sri Lanka Air Force Station Iranamadu) [12] – Iranamadu; SLAF Katukurunda (Sri Lanka Air Force Katukurunda) [13] – Katukurunda; SLAF Koggala (Sri Lanka Air Force Koggala) [14] – Koggala; SLAF Mullaittivu (Sri Lanka Air Force Station Mullaittiv) [15] – Mullaittivu; SLAF Palaly (Sri Lanka Air Force Palaly) [16] – Palaly
Later, The Regiment formations increased to a total of 25 Field Wings by 2000 and later to 45 Field Wings. When the Sri Lanka Artillery disbanded its Anti-Aircraft Regiments in 1962, the air defence role of Sri Lanka has been taken up by the SLAF Regiment which it provides today, by the Land Based Air Defence Wing. [citation needed]
The Sri Lanka Air Force museum is the only national museum dedicated entirely to aviation and the history of the Sri Lanka Air Force. The museum was first established in 1993 as the Aircraft Preservation and Storage Unit at SLAF Ratmalana and was reopened on 5 November 2009 after refurbishment.
A number of RAF squadrons (17, 22, 47, 60, 89, 132, 176, 217) and other units were stationed at the airfield during and immediately after the war. [4] The airfield was also used by the Fleet Air Arm. [5] A Sri Lanka Air Force detachment moved onto the site on 1 August 1978. [3] [6] The airfield become one of the air force's air bases.
It is also a military airbase known as Sri Lanka Air Force Base Hingurakgoda. [ 3 ] The facility is located 6.4 nautical miles (11.9 km) north of the town of Polonnaruwa [ 2 ] at an elevation of 46 metres (151 ft) and has one runway designated 07/25 with a bitumen surface measuring 2,287 by 46 metres (7,503 ft × 151 ft).
[3] [24] RAF China Bay became RCyAF China Bay. [3] When Ceylon became the republic of Sri Lanka it became SLAF Base China Bay in May 1972. [3] The base was turned into the Sri Lanka Air Force Academy in March 1976. [3] The academy was made an air force base in January 1987 due to the civil war. [3]
Koggala continued as a Sri Lanka Air Force base. The current runway is capable of handling domestic aircraft like the Dash-8 and ATR-72. The Government of Sri Lanka expects to upgrade the Koggala airport to international standards as an alternative airport to the BIA. The feasibility study, by a U.S. agency, has been completed. [needs update]