Retiring Air Force chief proud to be a part of winning team

By Dhaneshi Yatawara

In an interview with the Sunday Observer Air Force Commander Air Marshal Harsha Abeywickrama said that he is proud to be a part of a winning team. “As Commander of the SLAF I got the best opportunity to serve in a bigger capacity,” he said.

Excerpts of the interview:

Q: You are leaving the Air Force as its thirteenth Commander by end of next month ending a career spanning more than three decades. How do you feel about it?

A: I leave as a very happy person. I have been with Air Force for more than three decades. This has been my passion. Since childhood my dream was to become a pilot.

I always did what was best and correct for the country. Looking back I'm proud to be a part of a winning team like the SLAF.

I can leave my post with such contentment for the simple reason that I got opportunities to make the Air Force a better organisation.

Being the Commander of the SLAF I got the best opportunity to serve in a bigger capacity and I'm grateful to President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Secretary Defence Gotabaya Rajapaksa for appointing me as the Commander of the Air Force and giving me that opportunity. I'm leaving a better institute than which I entered.

Q: There were several media reports that were trying to highlight that your retirement was too early. How would you comment on this?

A: There is nothing unusual in the decision. These changes are routine decisions made by the President as the Commander-in-chief. The next qualified person needs a chance to come to the top position of this institute. I have no regrets in leaving the Air Force. I served as the Commander for three years and was able to complete my duties to the best of my ability. I was trained in the Air Force and I served up to the commander post and did in the best of my ability to serve everyone equally. I can leave the post with great satisfaction of my service. Towards those who write these stories well I have compassion towards them.

Q: During the Ealam War IV you were a key player working as Director Operations. How would you recall those tense days?

Sri Lanka’s first team of supersonic fighter pilots. (From left): Flying Officer Janaka Wijetileke, Flt. Lt. Priyantha Gunasinghe, Sqn. Ldr. Harsha Abeywickrama, Fg. Off. Sudarshana Pathirana and Flying Officer Sajeewa Hendawitharana in front of fighter jet F7 BS at Katunayake after a mission in 1993

A: Obviously those were highly tense days. When the humanitarian operation started in the East from Mavil Aru I was appointed as the Director Operations. My main duty was to motivate Air Force personnel. It was just after a cease fire and many were in a very inactive mood as there was less action. So the first thing to do was to motivate these people. We implement a strategy called the OODA loop - observe, orient, decide, and act. The concept was developed by military strategist and USAF Colonel John Boyd. My aim was to shorten the time as much as possible to complete this cycle and act soon when facing enemy. Thus, target acquisition process had to face a major change.

The biggest challenge was the demand from the ground troops. During the East from Trinco to Thoppigala and while liberating the North from Mannar to Welioya the entire Northern line needed our support. It was a big challenge supporting all fronts with limited facilities. I kept direct links with the Ground Commanders at all times and thus action was fast when needed.

To meet the challenge we needed new equipments and special trainings and for those we had to seek support of foreign countries. In such instances Pakistan, Israel and China were mostly there for us. If not for the support and understanding of President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Secretary Defence Gotabaya Rajapaksa we wouldn’t have been able to take prompt action as well as to keep these diplomatic relations tight at crucial points.

This was very crucial because we, during the humanitarian operation, kind of rose to the occasion. Another important issue was Casualty Evacuation (CASAVAC) operations. This was what kept the moral of the soldiers high. We kept direct links even with groups like the LRRPs of the Army who bravely move right in to the enemy area for reccainasance missions. Combined with our aerial information the LRRP’s ground information of the enemy territory was invaluable during the humanitarian operation.

There were many instances where we had to adopt indigenous methods to defeat the enemy. The LTTE were always trying to make a fear psychosis though they could not create damage by air power. To destroy this we came up with a RADAR guided system.

Q: When terrorist threats emerged in the mid 1980s, the SLAF went into battle with the available fleet. This was a challenge for the pilots of the SLAF and as a young Officer, you were one of the foremost Pilots who took flight into such combat operations. Was this experience as a combat pilot worked as a guide to you? How did that help you to over come the challenges?

A: Definitely. What I experienced is what made me realise the strong and weak points in our operational strategies. And I’m humbly proud to say I am the fighter pilot to become Director operations. I was also in the decision making committee bringing the F7 jets and I flew a Kfir for the first time in Israel.

And based on my experience as a fighter pilot while directing operations, I understood that if we followed the OODA loop in the traditional military way necessary action would get unnecessarily delayed. So I had to make a 360 degrees turn in the target acquisition process. Traditionally pilots are given details of the exact position of the target and mostly indicating directions, longitudes and latitudes. It is just the target. But during this humanitarian operation we gave total description of the target to the pilots and Commanding Officers of fighter squadrons before they take off for the mission. So the pilots knew the importance of the target in weakening the enemy, the challenges.

I kept a direct watch from the office at headquarters. We amalgamated UAVs and Beechcrafts and I was able to observe the targets by myself reducing time committed to observation. With this information I was able to instruct the pilots on the amount of ammunition they had to carry, which type of ammunition to use. I was able to see the target simultaneously to the pilots since we installed cameras to the fighter jets and helicopters. I had direct links with the pilots and I used to talk to the pilots directly.

And I guess the pilots had to be more careful on their precision on acquiring the target since I was watching. The pilots flew at very low altitudes targeting the enemy and this assured precise attacks. I kept direct communications with Army's ground commanders at all times.

Q: Apart from many novelties you did to the air force tactics during the fight against terrorism the Air Defence System was quite a new approach. How did this came in to the scene?

A: Air Defence System was a concept that has been there with the Air Force. In 2005 we saw that the LTTE had ‘Sling’ aircraft. Because of the ceasefire we could not do much to eliminate this air power. Around 2006 with the assistance from India we received the Indra Radar system and by around 2008 – 2009 we had a complete system suitable to our requirements. We received a lot of support from the Government to get necessary equipment without delay.

Q: Sri Lanka Air Force is now equipped with a unique set of experiences. Why not a step to exchange this wealth of knowledge with other Air Forces of the world?

A: It is so unfortunate of the West not understanding the importance of the experience of the Sri Lankan military forces. Theory in the world is that an Air Force can only play a supportive role but we, the SLAF, proved that even with limited resources an air force can play a main role to eliminate terrorism. The resistance coming mainly from the western world is what blocking us as military forces in exchanging experience. We have started writing the episodes of the final humanitarian operation. This we have named as ‘ aerial tribute’. It is actually now in print and in another month or two we are able to release it to the public. By reading this any person, military or not, can understand the modus operandi of the Sri Lanka Air Force. Though nothing much said aloud we are exchanging our experiences with other air forces in small scale.

Q: Ending the humanitarian operation Sri Lanka Air Force encountered a 360 degrees transformation. Was this easy? How flexible were the Air Force personnel towards this change?

A: Well I must say that Air Force personnel have been very flexible and gave their total commitment and dedication to these new ventures. After I took over I saw there were many skilled people in the Air Force. They needed work that would suit their skill. And on the other hand we were focusing on broadening welfare for Air Force personnel. So rather depending on Government funds we decided to invest from our welfare fund. Some of these are not new to the Air Force. For example if we take the Helitours – it was in 1972 that the then Government has approved Sri Lanka Air Force to operate something similar. With the new business ventures we got the chance to provide a service to Air Force personnel at welfare rates and earn a profit by giving it to the general public at normal rates. With this Air Force personnel also get a vocational training and when they leave the Air Force they with an additional qualification.

Q: The main responsibility of the Air Force will be to safeguard the country. A major change would have affected your core responsibilities. How did you manage this situation?

A: We have not touched the core of the Air Force used in defending the country. Even with the commercial flights the pilots get a constant training automatically.

They are now with License for Commercial flying and by the time they are leaving the Air Force they will be armed with much higher qualification as well.

Q: How about sustainability of these enterprises?

A: These ventures have independent structures to follow. Any commander only has to monitor. The systems are independent and transparent.

Q: what do you plan to do after retirement?

A: My life has been a very busy and active one since I joined the Air Force. Now I would prefer a peaceful, less stressful life with my family.

I’m fortunate to have a understanding and supportive wife and a son who succeeds in his endeavours and brings happiness to me.

I have deeply studied Buddhist philosophy and I live by it. Buddhist philosophy came in to my life when I took over as the base commander of Anuradhapura Air Force Base. It brought so much of peace to the tense lives we lived. And since then it had been my guideline. So my life after retirement would be a peaceful one.