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IAF copters will transport PM in Lanka

The Indian Air Force will station two helicopters in Sri Lanka during next week's SAARC summit to transport Prime Minister A B Vajpayee and his delegation, officials said.

''We have a big delegation. So we will be using two of our helicopters and one of the Sri Lankan air force,'' an Indian diplomat said.

Vajpayee will arrive by an IAF plane at the Bandaranaike International Airport, 35 km north of the capital, on Tuesday. He will be ferried into the city, and back while departing after the summit on Friday, by an Indian helicopter.

The helicopters will be again used for the prime minister's travel to Bentota, a beach resort 60 km south of Colombo, which will be the venue for the ''retreat'' of the SAARC leaders on Wednesday.

While the ostensible reason for deploying Indian helicopters is the delegation's size, informed sources said security considerations may have been the reason behind the decision.

The tiny Sri Lankan Air Force has a dismal track record, having lost 25 aircraft since April 1995 due to Tamil rebel attacks, pilot error or mechanical failure.

UNI

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