Sri Lanka Air Force Trade training school had initially been established as a signal relay station during Royal Ceylon Air Force solely to keep communication with the Air fields at SLAF Base Katunayake and SLAF Base China Bay during the time of the Commander of the Royal Ceylon Air Force AVM John Lindsay Barker. However when the R CyAF was asked to withdraw by the Prime Minister SWRD Bandaranaike , then Flt Lt HAD Ranasinghe had made a request to Commander AVM JL Barker to retain the land used as a signal relay station at Crooswatta , Ekala to establish a signal unit for the Air Force considering the geographical value of the land.

Being granted the proposal the premises had been used to transmit communication for both commercial and Air Force flights that flew from Katunayaka to China Bay.The station had been overlooked by the Base Commander SLAF Base Katunayaka.

However 2nd January 1971 Wg Cdr HAD Ranasingha had been appointed as the station commander of the SLAF station Ekala and was established as a signal unit station of the Air Force. During his tenure till 1978 he had to face the attack of the JVPers who had intruded the camp disguised as Buddhists monks. He had been able to catch those guerrilla fellows without using a single weapon as there had not been issued any weapon to those airmen or officers and any means of an armoury was not operating. It was after that few sentry points were established and they were issued with rifles The only officers' quarter available had been occupied by his subordinate Flt Lt IPUK Gunawardana. The only available billets were Magazine and Araliya billets which had existed since RCeyAF. He started digging the tank close to the present airmen mess in order to keep prevent the flood. In addition he had closed the road run through the camp to reach the village and built up the main gate. The present main hall was used as the signal transmitting station and the signal tower was built and the Microwave was imported from UK. The present TTS HQ building was used as the administrative building.

In 1978 Wg Cdr JP Eliathamby took over the command of the SLAF station Ekala and managed till 1979 and he planted five hundred coconut trees inside the camp premises.

In 1993 after the LTTE attack to SLAF Base China Bay the trade training school was shifted to SLAF Station Ekala during the time of Sqn Ldr NJ Gunatunga as the commanding officer of the station. However the training element was formed as Advanced and Specilalized Trade training school as a separate formation directly under the Director Training. The first commanding officer to trade training school was Sqn Ldr BLW Balasooriya (16/01/1993 -24/05/1993) and the Basic trade training was started at SLAF Base Katunayaka under the same commanding officer and a Chief Instructor was appointed to overlook the duties.

On 25th May 1993 Sqn Ldr KDU Chandratilake was appointed as the commanding officer of A&STTS. (25/05/1993-14/03/1997) During his tenure as the CO A&STTS with the support of the CO of the station Sqn Ldr NJ Gunathunga Academic classrooms and practical Bays at H Block and billets for traines were constructed.

Meantime construction of a hospital was a mandatory and on the request of CO Ekala and CO A&STTS a hospital was granted to SLAF Station Ekala. With the coming of more facilities attention given for training was increased. CO A&STTS took measures to start the Technical Instructors Training Course and Instructor Training Course to promote making suitable instructors locally to enhance the training. In addition Instructor Training was empowered by adding the educational psychology phase at the National Institute of Education at Maharagama.

In 1997 sqn Ldr UJ Wickramasinha took over the duties as the CO A&STTS and continued for24th December 1998.