The
Sri Lanka Air Force (
SLAF) (
Sri Lanka Guwan Hamudawa) is the
air arm and the youngest of the
Sri Lanka Armed Forces. It was founded in 1951 as the
Royal Ceylon Air Force (
RCyAF) with the assistance of the
Royal Air Force (RAF). The SLAF played a major role throughout the
Sri Lankan Civil War. The SLAF operates more than 160 aircraft and has a projected trained strength of 27,400 airmen and 1,300 officers, who are from both regular and reserve service. The Sri Lanka Air Force has expanded to specialize mainly in providing air-support to ground forces, troop landing, and carrying out air strikes on rebel-held areas in the Northern and Eastern theaters, but is also capable of high- and low-level
air defence.