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Malinda Meegoda, Research Associate of LKI, spoke at the Colombo Air Symposium on 24 October 2019. The annual Colombo Air Symposium convenes global expertise on airpower to understand new developments on the subject, and to increase cooperation and goodwill among the participating nations.

The session titled “Exploring Core Competencies” included presentations by Mr. Meegoda and Rear Admiral, Y.N Jayaratna (Sri Lanka Navy). The session was moderated by Air Vice Marshall, AWE Wijesuriya (Sri Lanka Air Force).

Mr. Meegoda’s presentation focused on how smaller air forces can continue to stay relevant as the cost of maintaining a technologically advanced modern air force continue to escalate. He suggested that increasing ‘jointness’ between the Sri Lanka Air Force and Sri Lanka Navy could be a way forward to increase resource optimisation, and force effectiveness. Mr. Meegoda also broadly outlined a few avenues that could help the Sri Lanka Air Force into an innovative learning organisation.

The 2019 Colombo Air Symposium, on the theme of “A Small Air Force: Way Forward in Achieving Future Vision”, featured senior defence officials, diplomats, and technical experts from the United States, India, Pakistan, the United Kingdom among others.