United States and Sri Lanka Build Disaster Response Readiness Through Atlas Angel II
The United States and Sri Lanka will conduct exercise Atlas Angel II from August 31 to September 4, bringing together U.S. and Sri Lankan military personnel and subject-matter experts to exchange expertise and train together in areas critical to disaster response, including C-130 aircraft maintenance, urban search and rescue, incident command systems, construction engineering, landslide response, and chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive hazards.
The Montana National Guard teams led by Assistant Adjutant General for Air Brigadier General Trace Thomas and Assistant Adjutant General for Army Brigadier General Renea Dorvall will participate in Atlas Angel II alongside personnel from the Sri Lanka Air Force and U.S. Pacific Air Forces (PACAF), with observers from the United Kingdom and Bangladesh. Centered at Sri Lanka Air Force Base Katunayake and in Kandy, the exercise will strengthen practical cooperation and interoperability between U.S. and Sri Lankan forces in humanitarian assistance and disaster response.
U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka Eric Meyer said: “The United States and Sri Lanka have a shared interest in being prepared when disasters strike. Atlas Angel is a strong example of what our partnership looks like in practice—Americans and Sri Lankans training together, sharing expertise, and learning from one another. Through the Montana National Guard and our broader defense partnership, we are building on years of cooperation and strengthening the readiness that helps protect American citizens and our partners, safeguard lives and livelihoods, and contribute to a more secure and resilient Indo-Pacific.”
Commander of the Sri Lanka Air Force Air Marshal Bandu Edirisinghe said: “Natural disasters know no borders. They do not recognize economic strength; they hit us and affect us just the same. Through Atlas Angel II, we have truly redefined what Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Operations mean, with multiple nations coming together to learn how we can, as one, assist people regardless of where they may be.”
Training together before emergencies occur strengthens the ability of U.S. and Sri Lankan forces to communicate, coordinate, and operate effectively during real-world crises. The value of that cooperation was demonstrated during Cyclone Ditwah in December 2025, when U.S. and Sri Lankan forces worked together to provide critical logistical support to affected communities, including the use of two U.S. Air Force C-130J Super Hercules aircraft to deliver supplies. Exercises such as Atlas Angel II help ensure that personnel, procedures, and relationships are already in place when the next emergency occurs.
Atlas Angel II builds on the partnership between the Montana National Guard and Sri Lanka established in 2021 under the U.S. Department of War State Partnership Program. Following years of joint training, expert exchanges, and reciprocal visits, a November 2025 MOU further formalized cooperation among the Montana National Guard, U.S. Coast Guard District 13, and the Sri Lanka Armed Forces in areas including disaster response, aviation, and maritime security. Through the partnership, Montana National Guard members share their experience responding to wildfires, floods, and other emergencies while learning from Sri Lanka’s extensive disaster response experience in the region.
As part of Atlas Angel II, musicians from the U.S. Air Forces Band of the Pacific will also work and perform alongside their Sri Lankan counterparts, strengthening professional and people-to-people ties through music.