Only 70% completed country's Air Defence System-Air Chief

Certain areas of Sri Lankan air space are still vulnerable and it needs at least 06 to 07 months to complete the air defence system fully activated, Air Force chief Air Marshall Roshan Gunathilake said.
Air Force commander met the journalists at weekly press briefing today in Colombo just 04 days after the devastating attack on one of the country’s main air base, by the Black Tiger suicide squad of the LTTE with the help of Tiger air wing.
Gunathilake said that at least 70% of the installation of the air defence system is now in place covering all strategically important areas, with out identifying covered and uncovered areas.
He said that Air Force was able to protect the camp by killing all the infiltrated tiger suicide cadres in the Anuradhapura air base early on Monday 22.
Prime Minister Rathnasiri Wickremanayake admitted in the parliament after two days of the attack that the air force had lost 08 air craft in the attack, the number which LTTE claimed even before the attack ends.
Independent sources confirmed at least another dozen of air crafts have had considerable damages and are out of operation at the movement.
Air Force commander denied the media reports and said only US$ 15 million were lost due to the attack, but sources close to defence establishment confirmed that the amount is little shorter than three times of the official figure.
Government has made sudden changes in command and operational structure of the armed forces, after the Anuradhapura attack which is considered as the island’s biggest ever lost in a single incident in financial terms.
Outer parameter security of all the air bases in the country with airports, have been assigned to army and at least two of them will be protected by elite Special Forces regiment soldiers else where in the country.
Major General Santh Karunartne, has been appointed as the Overall Operation Commander for the District of Anuradhapura hours after the attack, undoubtedly the worst ever set back military had in the undeclared Eelam War IV.

Chinese Arms in LTTE Hands

In a picture released of the latest troupe of young Tamils to sacrifice themselves to the unattainable dream of Tamil Ealam see the Tigers brandishing nothing but Chinese weapons. In the picture, some Black Tiger cadres carry QBZ 97, export version of QBZ 95, produced for the Republic of China military by Qīng Buqiang-Zidong company, designed by NORINCO (China North Industries Corporation). The weapon is a 5.56mm caliber (NATO-term) weapon.

Members of the group is also shown holding Anti-Tank Weapons, also made in China (Type-69 or RPG7 variation) loaded with Airburst Anti-Personnel HE with HEAT rockets in their back. The body colour of this weapon seems to indicate it is more a T69. Members of the group also hold 66mm Light Anti-Tank Weapons (LAWs) with disposable rounds and the RPGs are of reusable type. One Tiger poses with a CIS 40 Singapore made 40mm Grenade Launcher (CIS 40 GL). Tamil Tigers use CIS 40 and Ultimax LMG as weapon of choice in many battles. The Sub Machine Gun held by one Tiger is a T86 silenced version and again 5.56mm. The LMGs in the picture are Type 88 GPMG (QJY 88 or General Purpose Machine Gun).

Those weapons are all Chinese and seem to be directly imported from China through Burma or Chinese weapons bought and resold by the Burmese Junta. There is a high likelihood that NORINCO, China North Industries Corporation, a state-run company, is selling the weapons and using the Burmese route to sell such weapons to the LTTE (Click here to see how China's NORINCO is aiding Burma). The same company sold weapons to Sudan. Unlike in the weapons manufactured in the West, many of these Chinese firearms do not have serial numbers and are therefore very difficult to trace without any records available of their manufacture, purchase or eventual destination.

The Singapore government has cracked down on illegal arms sales following a revelation and subsequent international pressure that they sold weapons to aid a conflict in the Balkans. However, the LTTE's acquisition of the CIS 40 GL Grenade Launcher seems to indicate otherwise. Whatever the case maybe, the Chinese are double-crossing the Sri Lankan government.

We like to thank our reader nemesis for drawing our attention to the picture and starting the conversation.