For the first time in history, the Sri Lanka Air Force Regiment Special Forces (RSF)
conducted a Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR) training exercise during Cormorant Strike
Exercise XI on 22 September 2021 at Narakamulla in the general area of Thoppigala.
The Cormorant Strike Exercise is Sri Lanka’s largest Special Forces Training Exercise
conducted jointly by the Sri Lanka Army, Navy and Air Force, which is also participated by
many friendly foreign nations annually.
The exercise was conducted to rehearse the deployment of Combat Search and Rescue
capabilities of the RSF in coordination with the Disaster Assistance and Response Team
(DART) of the SLAF, in order to recover a helicopter in distress, simulated in a near real
time hostile ground environment. 01 MI-17 Helicopter from No.06 Helicopter Squadron, 02
Bell 212 helicopters from No. 07 Helicopter Squadron participated for troop mobilization
while a B 200 aircraft from No 03 Maritime Squadron acted as the airborne Intelligence
Surveillance and Reconnaissance platform. An eight (08) man RSF team and an eight (08)
man DART team took part in the rescue mission and jointly linked up with the Sri Lanka
Army Air Mobile Unit as well.
