PACAF Commander General Kevin Schneider arrives in Sri Lanka

General Kevin Schneider, Commander of the U.S. Pacific Air Forces (PACAF), arrived in Sri Lanka yesterday (June 21) on a three-day official visit.

He is scheduled to remain in the country until June 24, 2026, and participate in several high-level discussions related to the defence sector.

During the visit, General Schneider is expected to hold bilateral talks with senior leaders from the Sri Lankan Government and the Sri Lankan defence establishment, including officials from the Ministry of Defence and the Sri Lanka Air Force.

The discussions will focus on further strengthening cooperation in areas such as air and maritime domain awareness, cybersecurity, disaster response, and regional security and stability.

General Kevin B. Schneider is responsible for overseeing Air Force operations across a vast command structure that spans nearly half of the world’s landmass.

He leads more than 46,000 U.S. Air Force personnel serving in key strategic regions, including Japan, South Korea, Hawaii, Alaska, and Guam.

Commissioned through the United States Air Force Academy in 1988, General Schneider is a highly accomplished officer who graduated from the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training Program and the U.S. Air Force Weapons School.

He is an experienced command pilot with more than 4,000 flying hours, having flown a wide range of advanced aircraft, including the F-16, F-15E, T-38C, UH-1N, and F-22A.

Notably, his flight experience includes 530 combat flight hours accumulated during combat operations.