The U.S. Embassy in Sri Lanka, along with the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) and the Ministry of Defense, concluded Exercise Pacific Angel 2025 at a ceremony in Katunayake on September 12. The event was attended by U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung, Secretary of Defense Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha (Retd), and SLAF Commander Air Marshal Vasu Bandu Edirisinghe.
Exercise Pacific Angel 2025, which ran from September 8 to 12, brought together military forces from across the Indo-Pacific region to focus on disaster response and humanitarian cooperation. Participants included U.S. Pacific Forces, the Royal Australian Air Force, Japan Air Self-Defense Force, Maldivian National Defence Force, and Bangladesh Air Force. The Sri Lanka Navy and Army also played significant roles as hosts.
The exercise featured eight Subject Matter Expert Exchanges covering areas such as aircraft maintenance, search and rescue operations, jungle survival skills, aeromedical patient movement, mass casualty response techniques, and airlift operations. Training sessions took place at SLAF Katunayake, China Bay, and Ampara.
U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung stated: “Pacific Angel 25 is the largest multilateral exercise hosted in Sri Lanka this year, and we are proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with our Indo-Pacific partners. This exercise demonstrates how we prepare together for real-world challenges—from disaster response to humanitarian crises—and how cooperation strengthens our collective ability to safeguard peace, stability, and prosperity across the region. What we build together today is a foundation for tomorrow’s shared security.”
Secretary of Defense Thuyacontha expressed appreciation for international participation: “The exercise strengthens interoperability and knowledge-sharing among Indo-Pacific partners, while also reflecting the longstanding and cooperative relationship between the United States and Sri Lanka. Such engagements provide an important platform to build resilience, strengthen mutual trust and contribute to the peace and stability of the region.”
Air Marshal Bandu Edirisinghe noted: “The Sri Lanka Air Force is proud to co-host Pacific Angel 25, which provides an important platform to strengthen search-and-rescue and aviation operations while encouraging collaboration and knowledge-sharing among regional air forces. The exercise also deepens cooperation among Indo-Pacific partners in meeting humanitarian and security challenges together.”
In addition to military activities, Pacific Angel included cultural exchanges such as a joint performance by the United States Air Force Band of the Pacific ensemble “Final Approach” with the Sri Lanka Air Force Band. The program also supported community projects; notably, teams from both countries worked with local ministries to refurbish Akaragama Divisional Hospital.
The completion of Exercise Pacific Angel underscores ongoing efforts by Indo-Pacific nations in strengthening disaster preparedness through coordinated training exercises held in Sri Lanka this year.