Fighter Jets, ubmarines and neutrality

The people of Sri Lanka were told on March 20, 2026 that the USA on Feb 26 had requested permission for two ‘fighter jets’ from its Africa Command in Djibouti, for whatever reason said to be armed with eight anti - ship missiles, to land at Mattala International airport between 4-8 March.

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The name/designation of the authority who made the request was undisclosed. The request was said to be refused by SL on a date, to a person, by a person, not divulged. This was bewildering, not only for having taken 22 days to make this information public and 20 days after the war had started. Was this classified as Top Secret? Remember Easter Sunday? Who cared who bombed?

A government spokesman with reference to the Iran Navy (IRIS) ’s request to berth in SL harbours, said it takes about two weeks to process such requests. Even if this is swallowed by some, will the Iranian Ambassador believe it? (The German battle cruiser Graf Spee in WW1 was allowed to enter Montevideo harbour in Uruguay without delay. (It was scuttled 72 hours later by its captain Langsdorff after its crew were taken off. They were all interned in Argentina. (The captain committed suicide seven days later).

It certainly took just over two weeks after the requested USAF landing date, for the SL government to inform the public of this unprecedented if not baffling and guarded development. Feb 26 was two days before USA and Israel launched a preemptive attack on Iran. Was the USA kept waiting for a response for the spokesman’s ‘two weeks’? Or was it just two minutes for the US from ‘neutral’ SL?

Lilliput size Djibouti is 4,050 kms from Mattala. It sits strategically on the Bab El Mandep that separates the Gulf of Aden from the Red Sea with rail links to Ethiopia and has a deep water port. The USAF is stationed at Camp Lemonnier, (named after a heroic French General) on a 20-year US $63 million annual lease. It has an intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capability. It has aircraft mix of C130 transport, refueling tankers, helicopters and drones (some erratic), and just six F16 (fighter) aircraft.