The United States completed on January 7 the transfer of ten TH-57 Sea Ranger (Bell 206) helicopters to the Sri Lanka Air Force. The delivery was carried out under the Excess Defense Articles (EDA) program, through which the aircraft were provided at no cost by the U.S. government.
The helicopters, previously operated by the U.S. Navy, will be incorporated to strengthen Sri Lanka’s air fleet and pilot training capabilities, as well as to support disaster response missions and search and rescue operations. The TH-57 Sea Ranger is a military variant of the commercial Bell Jet Ranger 206 helicopter, used by the U.S. Navy for training duties, aerial photography, tracking missions, and utility roles.
The transfer process was coordinated by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), in conjunction with the U.S. Embassy in Colombo and the Navy International Programs Office, with the aim of ensuring an orderly operational transition and the effective delivery of the aircraft.
According to reports, the addition of these helicopters will enhance Sri Lanka’s emergency response capabilities, which were severely constrained during Cyclone Ditwah in November 2025. In that context, the shortage of available aircraft affected evacuation efforts and search and rescue missions. Under the planned schedule, the first batch of TH-57 Sea Ranger helicopters could arrive in Sri Lanka starting in February.
The transfer is part of the gradual retirement of the TH-57 Sea Ranger from the U.S. Navy, which began replacing them in 2020 with the TH-73A Thrasher training helicopter. This new aircraft, based on the AgustaWestland AW119 Koala and produced by Leonardo through its subsidiary AgustaWestland Philadelphia Corp., was selected for the training of U.S. Navy and Marine Corps pilots.
With the delivery of the 100th TH-73A, confirmed in September 2024, the U.S. Navy advanced the modernization of its training fleet, opening the possibility of transferring surplus TH-57s to partner countries such as Sri Lanka, while also strengthening defense cooperation ties between both states.
Images obtained from the Defense Security Cooperation Agency.
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