a. Brief Description of Inception.

i). With the guidance of Maj Gen HNW Dias RWP RSP USP IG the Locating Battery was formed on 17th September 1995 at the 4th Artillery premises in Panagoda. Then Maj PWB Jayasundara was appointed as the first Battery Commander and the Battery was consisted of 3 Officers and 16 Non Commissioned Officers at the beginning and there was only a survey section.

b. Org Expansion.

i). On 17 September 1995, the 4th Regiment was established as a battalion at the Panagoda camp of the Sri Lanka Artillery and operated as an independent institution of the Sri Lanka Artillery under the Artillery Brigade Headquarters. After that, according to the duties assigned to the battalion based on the operational duties, a corporation of 16 x 150 was prepared and presented, and the new corporation was named "Independent Locating Battery" by the order letter ප්‍ර/මාරා/51 (216) dated 25.08.2008 Approved by name.

ii). The new Corporation 02 x 84 has been approved by letter DSD/G/217 (33) and Dte of SD dated 30 Sep 22 on the process of restructuring the Corporations as per the Five Year Strategic Plan of the Sri Lanka Army 2020 - 2025.

iii). The new Corporation 02 x 58 has been approved by letter DSD/G/217 (07) and Dte of SD letter dated 30 May 23 under the restructuring of the Army Corporation relative to the reduction in the number of personnel serving in the Sri Lanka Army.

c. Technological Advancement.

i). On the 4th of November 1995, 5 x “type 371” radars made in China reached to Panagoda and with the participation of 4 Officers and 26 Other ranks a radar course of “type 371” radar was conducted by 6 Chinese instructors in the School of Artillery Minneriya. 8 other ranks of the Battery followed another radar operator course in Naval Academy Trincomalee from 13th November 1995 to 27th November 1995.

ii). For the operational requirements, for the first time one “type 371” radar was deployed in 1 Officer and 6 Non Commissioned Officers on 20th January 1996 and another two radars with 1 Officer and 14 Non Commissioned Officers came to Palali on 24th January 1996. It was operated “Sathjaya” launched in Elephant pass and Paranthan in which Counter Bombardment firing was conducted with the guidance of radars for the first time and thus it was a great factor that helped the success of the operation.

iii). From 11th April 1996 to 5th May 1996, the first foreign course of radar was followed successfully by 2 Officers and 3 Non Commissioned Officers in China. Later in the service rendered by the Battery expanded in a few fields as it was organized by a radar section, a survey section, and a Meteorology section with reception of modern Survey and Meteorology equipment.

iv). Acquisition of the high technical ANTPQ 36 radars, one of the most advanced and expensive equipments of Sri Lanka Army on 15th March 1998 were a great forward step of the Battery. After the training conducted from 17th March 1998 to 21st March 1998 at the School of Artillery, these two ANTPQ 36 radars were deployed at Kanagarayankulam for the operation “Jayasikuru”. In the radar operator course in the USA 4 Officers and 2 Senior Non Commission Officers participated in from 8th January 1998 to 6th February 1998. Since the 1st employments of this radar it has become an essential and vital requirement for every operation launched by Security Forces due to its extensive coverage, pinpoint accuracy and unique efficiency and for the time, the number of radar the Battery is in possession is 4, another 2 Officers and 2 Non Commission Officers participated in radar Operator/Technician course conducted from 13th August 1999 to 23th August 1999 in USA.

v). At that time the Independent Locating Battery was consisted of 4 radar troop, 1 survey team, 1 Meteorology section, and Battery Head Quarter. Detection of enemy weapons, correction of gun fire, Surveying, obtaining, and passing Meteorological data, conducting of radar, Survey and Meteorology Course with the co- operation of the School of Artillery are some of the tasks perform by the battery. These radars have been deployed in the Jaffna peninsula and one is at the School of Artillery for the training purposes. The Locating Battery was consisted of 4 Artillery Officers, 1 Signal Officer, 3 Artillery troops, and 1 Signal operator.

vi). On October 7, 2007, China imported 3 high-tech SLC 2 radar systems to Sri Lanka.

vii). Under the second phase of importing the SLC 2 radar system, two more machines were received by the battalion on 17th April 2008 at Colombo Port.

d. Contribution to Ops.

Name of the Special Mission Duration ORBAT Sathjaya Operation 1996.01.24 to SFHQ (J) Jaya Sikuru Operation 1997 to 1999 SFHQ (Wanni) Kinihira Operation (1 ,2, 3) 2000 to SFHQ (J) /511 Bde Rivikirana (1- 9) 2000 to SFHQ (J) Agnikeela Operation 25.04.2001 to SFHQ (J) East Humanitarian Operation 2006 to 2007 SFHQ (E) /22 Inf Div/23 Inf Div North Humanitarian Operation 2007 to 2009 SFHQ (J)/ SFHQ (Wanni) /21 Inf Div/ 51 Inf Div/ 52 Inf Div/ 53 Inf Div/ 55 Inf Div/ 56 Inf Div/ 57 Inf Div/ 58 Inf Div/ 59 Inf Div/ Arty Bde

e. Trg.

Radar and survey training is conducted by the existing veterans of this battery.

f. MACA/HADR.

g. Sports Activities.

h. Welfare Activities.

i. Nation Building Activities.

j. Other Special Events.

i). A first foreign course on radar was held in China from 11.04.1996 to 15.05.1996, in which 02 officers and 03 non-commissioned officers participated.

ii). S/55684 Sergeant Karunasena M, the first member of the Locating Battalion who died for the country, died in the terrorist attack on 09.01.1997, in which 03 T-371 radars were also destroyed.

iii). On 21.04.2000, Major WDSM Abeysekara Srilakaha, who served as the Battalion Commander of the Locating Battalion, lost a leg in the terrorist attack at Alimankada. S/155361 Sergeant Wijesekara AM also lost his life in this attack.