Dornier Maritime Surveillance Aircraft

In News

• Recently, India handed over a Dornier maritime surveillance aircraft to the Sri Lanka Navy to further boost bilateral defence partnership. 

About Dornier aircraft

• Manufacturer:
  • It is being manufactured by state-run aerospace major Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
• Capabilities 
  • Dornier 228 Maritime Patrol Aircraft is a Short Take-Off and Landing (STOL).
  • It is a multirole light transport aircraft used by the Indian Navy for electronic warfare missions, maritime surveillance, and disaster relief systems and has been in production since 1981.  

Significance of the move 

• Security requirement: The aircraft is being provided to Sri Lanka from the inventory of the Indian Navy to help the country meet its immediate security requirement. 
• Countering Chinese: The handing over of the Dornier aircraft by India comes a day before Chinese ship ‘Yuan Wang 5‘ docs at the Southern port of Hambantota. 
• Benefits to people: The capability of the aircraft to undertake search and rescue operations exemplifies its direct benefit to the people.
• SAGAR: Such cooperation is envisaged to add further capability and capacity to Sri Lanka and is in line with the vision of Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR). 

Source: TH