November 10, Colombo (LNW): The Cabinet has given the green light for an urgent refurbishment programme covering four MI-17 transport helicopters belonging to the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF), in a deal estimated to cost around US$18 million in total — approximately US$4.5 million per aircraft, a report by the Sunday Times disclosed.
The overhaul and service life extension, according to the report, will be carried out by Winsley Defence Group d.o.o. of Bosnia and Herzegovina, represented locally by Securatec Lanka (Pvt) Ltd. The company was selected as the lowest substantially responsive bidder following a lengthy evaluation process that began in 2023.
The budget allocation includes expenses for two-way transportation of the aircraft to the maintenance facility and comprehensive insurance coverage during the process. A full report detailing the tender and implementation timeline is expected to be tabled before the Cabinet next week.
Senior Air Force officials underscored the urgency of the project, noting that the MI-17s are critical to both domestic and international operations. Delays in the overhaul, they warned, could jeopardise vital missions such as flood relief, emergency response, and United Nations peacekeeping deployments involving SLAF contingents.
Government Approves US$18 Million Overhaul for Sri Lanka Air Force MI-17 Helicopters
Date:
