115-491: SLAF may refer to The Sri Lanka Armed Forces , the combined military of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka The Sri Lanka Air Force , a subset of the above. Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title SLAF . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change
230-487: A flag officer for effective command and administrative control. This is in order to efficiently maintain all ships, crafts and vehicles; and to ensure the operational readiness of commands and units each area shall have its own harbour/ base, repair and refitting facilities, signal centres, logistic, civil engineering and medical facilities. Seven Naval Area Commands (see image to the right) Sri Lanka Navy consists following branches to which personnel are attached to; At
345-635: A Master of Philosophy from the KDU. The navy continuous to send its senior officers for overseas training. Basic training for new recruits (approximately six months) are conducted at Advanced Naval Training Centre, SLNS 'Nipuna'; Naval Institute of Technology, SLNS 'Thakshila', Welisara; and at Naval Recruit Training Centres at several shore establishments. This basic training will be followed by on-the-job training on-board fleet units and at shore establishments. Combat Training School at SLNS 'Pandukabaya' conducts combat training for Naval Patrolmen . Additional training
460-466: A budget of 229.9 billion rupees ($ 2.1 billion) in 2012, the largest of any government ministry. In early 2011, as food prices soared, the Army bought vegetables from farmers and then sold them to the public at below market prices. Some of the vegetables came from military farms. The Army also runs a travel agency called Air Travel Services (Pvt) Ltd selling air-tickets and foreign package holidays. In
575-822: A ceremony attended by the President Maithripala Sirisena , and the Commander of the Navy Vice Admiral Ravindra Wijegunaratne alongside the tri-force Commanders and other senior officers. On July 29, 2017, Vice Admiral Wijegunarathna opened the new Marine Headquarters, SLNS Vidura in Sampoor , Trincomalee . The Parama Weera Vibhushanaya is the highest award for valour awarded in the Sri Lankan armed forces. Navy recipients include; Over 23,790 Sri Lankan armed forces personnel were killed since
690-501: A conventional war taking place in the northern and eastern provinces of the island and LTTE attacks in other parts of the country, which included several largescale suicide bombings . The Sri Lankan Army began deploying full divisions in offensive operations and the Navy and Air Force increased their inventories to support the Army. In 2002, a new Cease-Fire Agreement (CFA) was established with Norwegian mediation and peace talks began. The SLMM
805-547: A goodwill missions. Commodore Royce de Mel became the first Ceylonese to head the navy as he was appointed Captain of the RCyN in 1955. In 1959, the navy took over the strategic Royal Naval Dockyard, Trincomalee as the last of the British forces in Ceylon withdrew. In 1960, flexing its blue water capability a naval fleet undertook a deployment to the far east. Its return resulted in scandal as
920-713: A member of the Advisory Committee and offered a peacekeeping contingent. First peacekeeping deployment of the island's armed forces took place in 1960, when Ceylon held the Commonwealth Seat as a Non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council . Six peacekeepers were dispatch to the United Nations Operation in the Congo which was the first major peacekeeping operation undertaken by
1035-558: A paper drafted by the Committee was inadvertently made public, concerns were raised that the Committee's recommendations for restructuring Higher Defence Organisation might be constitutionally flawed in relation to the role of the President as Commander-in-Chief of the Sri Lankan armed forces. Although the work of the Committee thereafter proceeded apace, the DRC itself became a political football amidst
1150-741: A regular military. The Army Act No. 17 of 1949 was passed by Parliament on 11 April 1949 and formalized in the Gazette Extraordinary No. 10028 of 10 October 1949. This marked the creation of the Ceylon Army , and the CDF and the CRNVR were disbanded to make way for a regular navy. On 9 December 1950 the Royal Ceylon Navy (RCyN) was established. Finally, in 1951 the Royal Ceylon Air Force (RCyAF)
1265-409: A search for contraband took place. A Commission of Inquiry into the incident resulted in the dismissal of several officers (with commissions withdrawn and others retired) and the compulsory retirement of Rear Admiral de Mel, who was thereafter implicated in an attempt military coup d'état in 1962. In the aftermath of the attempted coup, the armed forces saw major budget cuts that dramatically halted
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#17328486289981380-483: A slow expansion of larger fleet assets with addition of newer Type 062-class gun boats and a Haiqing class submarine chaser being added to the fleet to intercept arms shipments destined for the Tigers within Sri Lankan territorial waters. In 2000 the Navy started a fleet air arm (FAA) by acquiring a HAL Chetak from India to expand its surveillance capability by operating from newly acquired Offshore Patrol Vessels . During
1495-571: A source of officers and sailors for the newly established RCyN as one hundred were selected and transferred to the regular naval force. Under the Navy Act, the CRNVR became the volunteer naval force on 9 January 1951 as the Royal Ceylon Volunteer Naval Force (RCVNF). The first warship of the RCyN was commissioned in 1951 as HMCyS Vijaya , an Algerine-class minesweeper , ex-HMS Flying Fish along with other patrol boats and tugs. It
1610-657: A terrorist organisation by the Sri Lanka. This led to India intervening by entering Sri Lankan air space to carry out food drops. Shortly afterward the Indo-Sri Lankan Accord was signed and the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) was sent to Sri Lanka to establish peace. The military was redistricted to its bases but was soon involved in another insurrection by the JVP in the south of the island from 1987 to 1989. In
1725-512: A whale and dolphin watching service for tourists. The Navy also provides a canal-boat service in Colombo from Wellawatta to Nawala , a boat service to Adam's Bridge for tourists and a vegetable shop. Helitours is the commercial arm of the Air Force established in the 1970s. It was inactive during the civil war but after its end the business has started functioning again, taking advantage of
1840-613: Is carried out in UK , India , Pakistan and Australia . The Sri Lankan Naval fleet consists of above 250 combat, support ships and inshore patrol craft, with most originating from the United States, China, India, Israel. While Naval Boat Building Yard , Colombo Dockyard provide locally. Sri Lanka often conducts and participates in naval exercises with other friendly forces and countries designed to increase naval cooperation and also to strengthen cooperative security relationships. In 2016,
1955-451: Is involved in everything from large-scale property developments to the running of roadside cafes. The military has built roads, bridges, houses and stadiums. The Urban Development Authority, which spends hundreds billions of rupees a year, was taken over by the Ministry of Defence in 2010. A year later the ministry was renamed Ministry of Defence and Urban Development. The ministry will have
2070-653: Is responsible for the management of the forces, while the planning and execution of combined operations is the responsibility of the Joint Operations Command (JOC). The JOC is headed by the Chief of the Defence Staff who is the most senior officer in the Armed Forces and is an appointment that can be held by a General , Admiral , or Air Chief Marshal . The three services have their own respective professional chiefs:
2185-626: Is responsible for the production of armoured vehicles and other equipment to the armed forces and have produced several MRAP-type vehicles such as the Unibuffel. Naval Boat Building Yard (NBBY) of the Navy is responsible for the production of small boats such as the Cedric and Wave Rider classes alongside other private companies such as Solas Marine Lanka while the Colombo Dockyard supplies larger vessels. Centre for Research & Development (CRD)
2300-534: Is the naval arm of the Sri Lanka Armed Forces and is classed as the country's most vital defence force due to its island geography. It is responsible for the maritime defence of the Sri Lankan nation and its interests. The role of the Sri Lanka Navy is to conduct operations at sea for the defence of the nation and its interests and conduct prompt and sustainable combat operations at sea in accordance with
2415-848: Is the Ambassador to Indonesia; Major General Udaya Perera is the Deputy High Commissioner to Malaysia; Major General Jagath Dias is the Deputy Ambassador to Germany, Switzerland and the Vatican; Major General Shavendra Silva is the Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN; Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda is the Ambassador to Japan; Admiral Thisara Samarasinghe is the High Commissioner to Australia; Major General Amal Karunasekara
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#17328486289982530-644: Is the Research and Development organisation of the Ministry of Defence and has developed UAVs, electronic warfare equipment, weapon systems, various simulators and network-centric warfare systems for the military. The tri-forces have their own R&D organisations with the Army Research Analysis Projection & Development Branch (RAP&D) of the Sri Lanka Army, Research and Development Unit of
2645-606: Is the aerial defense division and the youngest of the Sri Lankan Tri Forces. Founded in 1951 as the Royal Ceylon Air Force, it relied on the British Royal Air Force for its earliest equipment, training, and leadership. The Air Force played a major role in the war against Tamil separatists. Although Sri Lanka is only a small island state, its Air Force has proven highly capable and efficient. In recent times
2760-851: Is the chargé d'affaires in Eritrea; Major General G. A. Chandrasiri is the Governor of Northern Province; Mohan Wijewickrema s the Governor of Eastern Province; Rohan Daluwatte is the Chairman of the National Gem and Jewellery Authority; and Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasuriya and Air Chief Marshal Roshan Goonetilleke are board members of the Water's Edge Complex. Royal Ceylon Navy The Sri Lanka Navy ( SLN ) ( Sinhala : ශ්රී ලංකා නාවික හමුදාව , romanized: Śrī Laṃkā nāvika hamudāva ; Tamil : இலங்கை கடற்படை , romanized: Ilaṅkai kaṭaṟpaṭai )
2875-591: Is the longest foreign tour (21 days) an SLN Ship undertook after the year 1965 with 127 sailors including 18 officers. This followed in 2018 by SLNS Sagara which sailed to Indonesia to attend the Multilateral Naval Exercise “Komodo” and “International Fleet Review” (IFR) 2018, while SLNS Samudura and SLNS Suranimala sailed to India to take part in Milan . The navy participated in Exercise RIMPAC for
2990-567: The Army including several amphibious operations. With the end of the civil war, the navy has begun reorienting itself for the future defence of the island. This has led to force redeployment, training exercises and transfer of certain duties to the newly formed Sri Lanka Coast Guard . In the post war years the navy has expanded its maritime operations to fisheries control and to counter human trafficking. Operations to counter illegal poaching by Tamil Nadu fishermen have led to allegations that personnel from
3105-693: The COVID-19 situation in the island. On 26 October 2021, the navy formally took over the second Hamilton-class high endurance cutter transferred from the United States at the USCG Station Seattle under the EDA program. It is due to reach its home port in 2022, following a seven-month refit in Seattle. In March 2022, the Government of Sri Lanka signed several defence agreements with the Government of India which included
3220-708: The Commander of the Army , the Commander of the Navy and the Commander of the Air Force , who have much autonomy. Ceylon's first involvement in United Nations peacekeeping took place in 1957 in the wake of the Suez Crisis as the United Nations General Assembly moved to form an Advisory Committee to plan the deployment of what was going to be the United Nations Emergency Force . Ceylon was
3335-612: The Hambantota Cricket Stadium , the Navy Pallekele Cricket Stadium and the Air Force Premadasa Stadium . Many senior military commanders have been appointed to senior positions in the diplomatic and civil services: Air Chief Marshal Jayalath Weerakkody is the High Commissioner to Pakistan; Air Chief Marshal Donald Perera is the Ambassador to Israel; Major General Nanda Mallawaarachchi
3450-517: The LTTE created. It found itself engaging in anti-smuggling operations to counter LTTE gun running between India and Sri Lanka. As the larger gun boats proved ineffective against faster small boats used by the LTTE with outboard motors, the navy began deploying small boats with waterjets and inshore patrol boats armed with machine guns to police its waters. The LTTE responded with mounting machine guns and attacking
3565-517: The President of Sri Lanka , is nominally the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces . The National Security Council , chaired by the President is the authority charged with formulating and executing defence policy for the nation. The highest level of military headquarters is the Ministry of Defence , since 1978 except for a few rare occasions the President retained the portfolio defence, thus being
SLAF - Misplaced Pages Continue
3680-515: The United Kingdom , Israel , the United States , India , and South Africa . Referring to the overseas military training given to Sri Lanka, the U.S. government's contribution at a higher level. The Foreign Military Financing (FMF) and International Military Education and Training (IMET) programs helping to standardizing and strengthening the country's military greatly. Although much of
3795-768: The United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO). Sri Lanka has sent staff officers to serve in the UN Headquarters in New York. The Institute of Peacekeeping Support Operations Training Sri Lanka (IPSOTSL) was established to train UN peacekeepers in Sri Lanka. The Sri Lanka Army is the oldest and largest of Sri Lanka's three armed services. Established as the Royal Ceylon Army in 1949, it
3910-534: The bombing of SLNS Sooraya and SLNS Ranasuru . Due to the threat posed by the Sea Tigers, the navy had to undertake convoy duty to escort shipping to the Jaffna peninsula to which all land routes were controlled by the LTTE. In order keep supply lines open to Jaffna, the navy employed several auxiliary ships. It also deployed auxiliary ships to support FACs. In the early 1980s a land combat force named Naval Patrolmen
4025-570: The 1939–1946 period, the CRNVR carried out several operational duties, mainly at sea. Cutting its teeth on the Port Commission tugs Samson and Goliath, it later manned and operated trawlers and Antarctic whalers converted as minesweepers and fitted out with guns, submarine detection equipment and anti-submarine weaponry. They were HMS Overdale Wyke (the first ship to be purchased by the Government of Ceylon), HMS Okapi, HMS Semla, HMS Sambhur, HMS Hoxa, HMS Balta and HM Tugs Barnet and C 405. In addition
4140-801: The Army) awards campaign medals for personnel that have taken part in successful, notable and high-risk operations: the first of these was the Vadamarachchi Operation Medal in 1983, while the latest (the Northern and Eastern Humanitarian Operations Medals ) were awarded in 2010, following the conclusion of the Eelam War. Since the end of the civil war in May 2009 Sri Lanka's 300,000 strong military has increased its non-military activities, leading to accusations of militarisation and even military rule. The military
4255-411: The Burma front was opened in two FMVs for harbour duties, and were called upon to accept the surrender of the Italian sloop Eritrea and escort her to the Colombo port with a prize crew on board. With Ceylon gaining self-rule from the British in 1948, the Parliament of Ceylon passed the Navy Act, No. 34 of 1950 which established the Royal Ceylon Navy (RCyN) on 9 December 1950. The CRNVR served as
4370-505: The CRNVR manned several Motor Fishing Vessels (MFV), Harbour Defence Motor Launch (HDML) and miscellaneous auxiliary vessels. All were manned exclusively by CRNVR personnel. These ships were meant to sweep and guard the approaches the harbours but were often used on extended missions outside Ceylon waters. In the course of these operations, the ships came under enemy fire, recovered essential information from Imperial Japanese aircraft that were shot down, sailed to Akyab (modern Sittwe ) after
4485-452: The Flag Officers' flags, were redesigned. The term "Captain of the Navy", introduced in the Navy Act, was changed to "Commander of the Navy", in keeping with the terminology adopted by the other two services. Finally, "Her Majesty's Ceylon Ships" (HMCyS) became "Sri Lankan Naval Ships" (SLNS). SLN received three more Type 062-class gunboats in December 1972, while the USSR gifted a Shershen-class torpedo boat in 1975. These gunboats allowed
4600-407: The Government felt the limitations of the RCyN and the need to strengthen the navy. The People's Republic of China gifted two Type 062-class gunboat and these were commissioned in February 1972, while three more were ordered. In July 1972 the "Dominion of Ceylon" became the "Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka" and the Royal Ceylon Navy became the Sri Lanka Navy . The ensign , along with
4715-412: The LTTE being blamed for using civilians as a human buffer. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights accused the Sri Lankan Armed Forces of committing widespread and often extremely brutal sexual violence against both Tamil females and males alike in a report in 2015. The posture of the military has been defensive due to the nature of the strategic threats to Sri Lanka. In
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4830-414: The LTTE's use of the seas. During the war the navy increased its fleet of larger vessels by introducing two locally built Jayasagara class offshore patrol vessels and purchasing several more Type 062-class gunboats. The navy lost several ships in the 1990s to Sea Tiger attacks by suicide crafts such as in the sinking of SLNS Sagarawardena and SLNS Ranaviru and the use of suicide frogmen such as in
4945-442: The Minister of Defence. The ministry and the armed forces have been controlled during these periods by either a Minister of State , Deputy Minister for defence, and recently by the Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Defence. Prior to 1978 the Prime Minister held the portfolio of Minister of Defence and External Affairs, and was supported by a Parliamentary Secretary for Defence and External Affairs. The Ministry of Defence
5060-458: The Naval Headquarters in Colombo . Established in 1950 as the Royal Ceylon Navy it was renamed as the Sri Lanka Navy in 1972. In recent years it had played a key role it the Sri Lankan civil war , conducting deep sea , coastal & inshore patrols, amphibious and supply operations. The navy has its own elite naval special forces unit, the Special Boat Squadron and Navy Marines . The Sri Lanka Air Force with approximately 28,700 personal
5175-403: The Navy from Naval Headquarters in SLNS Parakrama , Colombo . He is assisted by the Chief of Staff (C of S); who along with Directors General and Directors comprise the Board of Management (BOM) and Board of Directors (BOD) of the Sri Lanka Navy. The following posts make up the Board of Management: The Navy has seven commands known as Naval Area Commands, each under the control of
5290-412: The President of Sri Lanka announced plans to deploy a navy ship to the Red Sea to join the maritime coalition defending shipping against increased attacks by Houthi rebels in Yemen. The navy has decided to deploy one of its five Advanced Offshore Patrol Vessels to the Red Sea as part of Operation Prosperity Guardian . As of present, most of the Sri Lankan Navy is deployed for domestic defence with
5405-422: The Prime Minister established the Defence Review Committee (DRC) which formulated extensive recommendations that encapsulate force modernization as well as the restructuring of command and control in ways that would make the army more responsive to civil control. The first task of the Committee was to assess the Higher Defence Organisation, given the decision by the President to relinquish the defense portfolio. When
5520-439: The Royal Navy, while senior officers were sent to the Royal Naval College, Greenwich and to the Royal College of Defence Studies . Following the resuspension of recruitment following the suspension from 1962 to 1967, the Naval and Maritime Academy was established for basic officer training. With the rapid expansion of the Sri Lankan armed forces in the 1980s and 1990s saw the establishment of local specialist and trade schools in
5635-413: The SLN carried out in conjunction with the army its first amphibious operation code named Operation Sea Breeze followed by the larger Operation Balavegaya a year later and on the seas it began an aggressive clamp down on LTTE actives including gunrunning. In 1992, Admiral W.W.E. Clancy Fernando , the commander of the navy was assassinated by a suicide bomb attack by the LTTE. The mid-1990s saw
5750-401: The SLN to carry out effective coastal patrolling and several cruises to regional ports. New bases were established to counter smuggling operations in the coastal areas. Five inshore patrol crafts were ordered from Cheverton, while six coastal patrol craft were built by the Colombo Dockyards. At the begin of the civil war in the 1980s the navy found itself poorly equipped to face the new threats
5865-455: The Sri Lanka Navy and the Research and Development Wing of the Sri Lanka Air Force. The highest military decoration awarded by the tri-forces is the Parama Weera Vibhushanaya , awarded to all regular and volunteer officers and service personnel who display extraordinary individual bravery in combat; thus far, all PWVs have been posthumous. A related award is the Uththama Pooja Pranama Padakkama , an exclusively posthumous decoration awarded to
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#17328486289985980-485: The Sri Lanka Navy formed its first battalion of Marines specializing in amphibious warfare . The unit started training under the assistance of the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit of the United States Marine Corps in November 2016 and received further training from the Commando Regiment of Sri Lanka Army . The first group consisting of 164 Marines, consisting of 6 officers and 158 sailors, passed out on 27 February 2017 from Naval Base SLNS Barana in Mullikulam in
6095-399: The Sri Lanka Navy have attacked more than twelve fishermen, two of whom have died, in a series of disputes. Australia transferred two Bay-class patrol boats to the Sri Lanka Navy, following its Prime Minister's visit to the island for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in November 2013. The first of these vessels was delivered in April 2014. Expanding its blue water capability
6210-425: The Sri Lanka Navy, there is no separate branch or department. Women can join both as officers and sailors. Today women are recruited to both the regular and volunteer forces. Although at first limited to the medical branch, currently females are able to join any branch of the navy. In 2007, the navy appointed its first-ever female Commodore , Surgeon Commodore Indranee Y. Amarasinghe. The following tables present
6325-495: The Sri Lankan Armed Forces were engaged in offensives on all fronts, with heavy fighting around Kilinochchi (where the LTTE had its headquarters) and close to Mullaitivu . In early 2009 the Armed Forces recaptured in quick succession Kilinochchi and the strategically important Elephant Pass . Thus establishing a land route to the government controlled Jaffna Peninsula which had been supplied by sea and air for over 10 years after its recapture in 1995. Shortly thereafter Mullaitivu
6440-426: The Sri Lankan population actively serving. Sri Lanka has a military history going back to more than 2000 years. The roots of the modern Sri Lankan military lead back to the colonial era when the Portuguese , Dutch and British established local militias to support their wars against the local Kingdoms. The British created the Ceylon Rifle Regiment during the Kandyan wars . Although it had natives in its ranks, it
6555-417: The United Nations peacekeeping operations. The Sri Lankan Navy with approximately 48,000 personal is the key maritime division of the Sri Lankan Armed Forces and is classed as the most vital defence force of Sri Lanka. It conducts maritime operations at sea for the defence of the Sri Lankan nation and its interests. The professional head of the navy is the Commander of the navy , who exercises his command from
6670-508: The United Nations. This was followed by a second contingent in 1961. The Sri Lanka restarted contributing to UN peacekeeping missions with the deployment of an infantry battalion for the United Nations Stabilisation Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) in 2004, deploying over 16,292 personal between 2004 and 2017. Sri Lankan peacekeepers have been embroiled in a child sex ring scandal in Haiti, with at least 134 soldiers being accused of sexually abusing nine children from 2004 to 2007. MINUSTAH
6785-405: The Valikamam North High Security Zone where the residents were forcibly expelled in the early 1990s and have not been allowed to resettle despite the end of the civil war. The Army also runs two other holiday resorts, one in Kukuleganga and the other in Wadduwa . In November 2011 it was announced that the Army would build a five star hotel in Colombo . During 2010-11, whilst local government
6900-408: The air force has expanded to specialize mainly in providing air-support to ground forces and landing troops and carrying airstrikes on rebel held areas in the Northern and Eastern provinces. There are two official paramilitary forces under the command of the Ministry of Defence , as well as another under the Minister of Justice : The following Units are known to conduct special operations: Today
7015-470: The ceasefire officially ended on 16 January 2008, following several bombings in the capital. Along with the ceasefire operations of the SLMM also ended. During 2008 there was heavy fighting in the northern province where the Sri Lanka Armed Forces launched major offensives and succeeded in recapturing LTTE controlled areas of the Mannar District , the Vavuniya District and moving into the Mullaitivu District and Kilinochchi District . During December 2008,
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#17328486289987130-420: The country's booming tourism. From 2011 all undergraduates are required to take part in compulsory leadership training and the government has chosen the military to provide this training. In November 2011 it was announced that the military would take over the maintenance of the country's three international cricket stadiums from the financially troubled national cricket board . The Army has taken over
7245-421: The country. The security of all major ports of the country is the responsibility of the navy, due to terrorist activity. Fisheries protection in the territorial waters and the Exclusive economic zone of Sri Lanka . The professional head of the navy is the Commander of the Navy (C of N) who reports directly to the Minister of Defence. The Commander of the Navy exercises operational and administrative control of
7360-401: The course of 2006, 2007 and 2009. Most significant of the events during this time was the interception and sinking of several large cargo ships that were bringing illegal arms shipments to the LTTE in the Indian Ocean in international waters ( Sri Lanka Navy anti arms smuggling operations ). These naval operations have proven the blue water capability of the Sri Lankan Navy. During the war
7475-503: The current military hardware used by the Sri Lanka Armed Forces is acquired from China , Pakistan , Israel , India , Russia , and the United States . Indigenous weapon systems have been developed and produces within Sri Lanka to suit its requirements. Most of these have been produced by the armed forces. In 1992 the Ordnance Factory was established beginning the manufacture of artillery and ammunition including trip flares in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (SLEME)
7590-420: The defence of ports and thereafter carryout offensive counterinsurgency operations against the insurgents. During the insurrection navy suffered its first combat casualties and went on to man detention centres to rehabilitate surrendered insurgents after it was crushed in a few months. Ceylon, however, had to rely on the Indian Navy to established an exclusion zone around the island. With the JVP insurrection,
7705-420: The eastern province during 2007. By then the LTTE had been proscribed as a terrorist organisation by 32 countries. In 2017 Sri Lanka Armed Forces deployed nearly 10,000 personnel and equipment for relief, help and rescue operations of 2017 Sri Lanka floods . This is the biggest military deployment of the peacetime. On 3 January 2008 the government informed Norway of its decision to quit the ceasefire, with it
7820-415: The end of combat operations, while foreign deployments are carried out from time to time. Due to the Sri Lankan Civil War the navy has been on a constant mobilized (including reservist ) state since the 1980s (except for a brief period from 2002 to 2005). The majority of the naval units both at sea and ground-based are deployed in the North and Eastern provinces of the country, as well as in other parts of
7935-456: The end of the war it has grown in size to that of an independent brigade, but was de-mobilized in 1946 and disbanded in 1949. In 1937 the Ceylon Naval Volunteer Force was established (later renamed as the Ceylon Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (CRNVR)), it was mobilized for war in 1939 and was incorporated into the Royal Navy . Following the establishment of the Dominion of Ceylon with Britain granting independence in 1948, work began to establish
8050-483: The establishment of a Maritime Rescue Coordinating Centre on an Indian grant as well as the acquisition of Dornier 228 maritime reconnaissance aircraft to the Sri Lanka Air Force to operate with naval personnel. A 4,000 ton floating dock constructed by Goa Shipyard was also acquired as part of a grant from India, to facilitate repair and maintenance of larger fleet units based at Trincomalee instead of having to depend dry dock facilities in Colombo. In January 2024,
8165-474: The expansion it enjoyed in the 1950s. Under N. Q. Dias , the Ministry of External Affairs and Defence changed its defence policy taking steps to prevent a further coup attempts. Joint operations among armed services were stopped, with the army to focused on internal security and the role of the navy was scaled down. As a result, several of its ships were sold off and its size reduced by the stoppage of recruitment of officers cadets and sailors for over seven years,
8280-612: The family or next-of-kin of service personnel confirmed to be killed - or missing in action . The highest civilian decoration awarded by the armed forces of Sri Lanka is the Weerodara Vibhushanaya , the military equivalent being the Weera Wickrama Vibhushanaya . The most recent commemorative decoration awarded was the Sri Lanka Air Force 50th Anniversary Medal , awarded in 2001. The armed forces (especially
8395-510: The first time in 2018, sending a contingent of marines to the international maritime exercise. In August 2018, the navy took over a Hamilton-class high endurance cutter which was transferred to the Navy from United States under the EDA program. Commissioned in June 2019 as an Advanced Offshore Patrol Vessel, it became the largest combat vessel in the Sri Lankan navy at 3250 tonnes and second former United States cutter in its service. In June 2019,
8510-610: The formation of the Royal Ceylon Navy in 1950, it looked to the Royal Navy to its training in the formational years. Naval rating training was initiated locally with Royal Navy instructors at Royal Naval Dockyard, Trincomalee while officer cadets and specialist training took place in the United Kingdom. Initial batches of officer cadets were sent to Britannia Royal Naval College , along with specialized training at trade schools of
8625-496: The government and the LTTE claimed that the ceasefire was still in place. The offensive by the Armed Forces was launched when the LTTE closed the sluice gates of the Mavil Aru reservoir on 21 July and cut the water supply to 15,000 villages in government controlled areas. This led to several major attacks by the LTTE in the eastern province and the north. The Armed Forces went on the offensive successfully recapturing LTTE control areas in
8740-528: The growing tension between the President and the Prime Minister. In 2003 the President took the decision to bring an end to the work of the DRC and, instead, assigned the task of SSR to the Joint Operations Headquarters, since when little progress has been evident. In April 2006 following a suicide bomb attack on the Commander of the Army, airstrikes began followed by skirmishes, however, both
8855-556: The high seas. The navy has its own elite special forces unit, the Special Boat Squadron . The professional head of the navy is the Commander of the Navy , currently Vice Admiral Priyantha Perera . The commander-in-chief of the Sri Lanka Armed Forces is the President of Sri Lanka , who heads the National Security Council ; the Ministry of Defence is the organization where ship buying policies are made for
8970-601: The insurgency of Tamil militant groups in the north of the island. This was the beginning of the Sri Lankan Civil War . The size of the Armed Forces grew rapidly in the 1980s. By the mid-1980s, the Armed Forces began launching operations in the like of conventional warfare against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) which had by then became the most powerful of the Tamil militant groups and had been proscribed as
9085-515: The issue of accountability with regard to any alleged violations of international human rights and humanitarian law during the final stages of the civil war found "credible allegations" which, if proven, indicated that war crimes and crimes against humanity were committed by the Sri Lankan Armed Forces and the LTTE, with most civilian casualties in the final phases of the war being blamed on indiscriminate Sri Lankan Army shelling and
9200-472: The late 1980s Israeli Dvora-class fast patrol boats which it designated as Fast Attack Crafts (FAC). The FACs of the Fast Attack Flotilla became the workhorses of the navy's offensive and defensive operations against the Sea Tigers. In the 1990s and 2000s Super Dvora class boats were added and a locally built Colombo class was introduced in larger numbers. These proved highly successful in limiting
9315-399: The link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=SLAF&oldid=933132165 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Sri Lanka Armed Forces The Sri Lanka Armed Forces is
9430-437: The loss of important bases and barracks and the stoppage of training in the United Kingdom. Two batches of 300 ratings were recruited in 1966 and 1969. As a result, in 1971 the navy was poorly equipped and short of personnel when the 1971 JVP Insurrection broke out. RCyN had only one warship, HMCyS Gajabahu which was not put to sea as its crew were dispatched with other naval personnel for shore duty. RCyN initially mounted
9545-485: The military ranks and insignia of the Sri Lanka Navy. These ranks generally correspond with those of Western or Commonwealth Nations militaries, and reflect those of the British warrant officer, non-commissioned officer and enlisted ranks and the Commissioned officer ranks. Sri Lanka does have an Admiral rank, but it is usually only awarded to the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) or as an honorary rank. The Sri Lanka Navy set
9660-554: The national policies. Sri Lanka , situated in the middle of major sea lanes passing through the Indian Ocean , was always a magnet for seafarers and has a long history of naval campaigns. The current Sri Lankan Navy was established on 9 December 1950 when the Navy Act was passed for the formation of the Royal Ceylon Navy . The roots of the modern Sri Lankan Navy date back to 1937 when the Ceylon Naval Volunteer Force
9775-638: The navy began commissioning larger fleet assets equivalent to Patrol frigates, which it termed as Advanced Offshore Patrol Vessels . In April and August 2018 two 105m long vessels of the Saryu-class were commissioned. Built by Goa Shipyard on order to the Sri Lanka navy, these were the largest purpose built ships for the Sri Lanka Navy. In 2017, SLNS Sayurala took part in Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) International Fleet Review 2017 in Thailand . This
9890-494: The navy boats. This began an asymmetric war at sea, taking place primarily in the coastal waters among small boats of the navy and the LTTE naval arm the Sea Tigers . The decades long conflict saw the escalation of the size, firepower and speed of the boats with new techniques deployed by both sides. The Sea Tigers mastered the art of using sophisticated suicide crafts against naval vessels both small and large. The navy acquired in
10005-461: The navy took over a Type 053H2G frigate which was transferred to the Navy from China. It will be armed with dual Type 79 100 mm naval guns and two Type 76A dual-37 mm anti-aircraft guns to function as an Advanced Offshore Patrol Vessel. In August 2021, the navy dispatched its Landing Ship, Tank SLNS Shakthi to sail to the Port of Chennai to sealift urgently needed medical grade oxygen needed for
10120-699: The navy, along with staff colleges and a defence university. At present the Director General Training directs all naval training establishments. All pre-commissioning training for officers are carried out at the Naval and Maritime Academy (NMA) at the SLN Dockyard in Trincomalee and short/specialised officer training is conducted at the SLNS Gemunu, Welisara. This training includes theoretical aspects covered at
10235-616: The navy, along with the army, developed its own weapons development programmes to produce and maintain weapon systems suited for indigenous requirements in collaboration with Colombo Dockyard which included the Jayasagara class , Colombo class and the Ranavijaya class ; while the navy designed and developed the Arrow class . Apart from continued deployments at sea the navy has played a significant role in supporting all major operations carried out by
10350-536: The navy. The Sri Lanka Navy has five Advanced Offshore Patrol Vessels (equivalent to a traditional patrol frigate ), three Offshore Patrol Vessels , two missile boats , 40 fast attack crafts , more than 200 patrol boats , seven landing ships/craft, along with six auxiliary vessels. In January 1938 the Ceylon Naval Volunteer Force (CNVF) was created with Commander W.G. Beauchamp as Commanding Officer under ordinance No I of 1937. On 31 August 1939 at
10465-502: The navy. The General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University (KDU) formed in 1981 and situated in Ratmalana, fourteen kilometres south of Colombo, is Sri Lanka's only university specialising in defence studies. Apart from postgraduate defence studies each year, approximately fifty cadets from all three services are admitted to the university (aged 18–22) to participate in a three-year programme of under graduate studies. Senior officers of
10580-521: The north, tension increased with the LTTE and the IPKF leading to open war with the two suffering heavy casualties. In 1990 the IPKF pulled out and the war commenced with the Sri Lanka Armed Forces and the LTTE. In 1994, a brief ceasefire came into place and peace talks began. The ceasefire ended when the LTTE sack two SLN gunboats . The phase of the war that followed, known as Eelam War III , saw
10695-652: The outset of World War II , the CNVF was mobilised for war duties. It took part in action during the Easter Sunday Raid . Three years later, the CNVF was offered to, and accepted by the Royal Navy (RN) as a Volunteer Reserve , the Ceylon Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (CRNVR). It continued under Royal Navy operational and administrative command until March 1946. With the end of the war, it reverted to Ceylon Government control, though yet CRNVR in name. In
10810-514: The overall unified military of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka encompassing the Sri Lanka Army , the Sri Lanka Navy , and the Sri Lanka Air Force ; they are governed by the Ministry of Defence (MoD). The three services have around 346,700 active personnel; conscription has never been imposed in Sri Lanka. As of 2021 it is the 14th largest military in the world, with 1.46% of
10925-552: The police. There was an attempted coup in 1962 by a group of reservists, which led to cuts in military spending and the disbandment of several regiments. This, together with the lack of an intelligence agency , left it ill-prepared for the insurgency launched by the Marxist JVP in April 1971. The 1971 JVP Insurrection saw Ceylon Armed Forces mobilizing for combat operations. for the first time and its size grew rapidly. The insurrection
11040-584: The ranks of Lieutenant Commander and Commander follow the Command and Staff Course at the Defence Services Command and Staff College (DSCSC) at Batalanda, Makola which allows officers to gain a Masters Of Science (Defence Studies) degree from the KDU. Senior officers destined for flag rank attend the prestigious National Defence College (NDC) in Colombo which is the highest level of training leading to
11155-548: The same time conventional warfare capability was increased by the addition of Sa'ar 4-class missile boats . In 2004, the navy received a Reliance-class cutter from the United States Excess Defense Articles (EDA) program. Following the resumption of hostilities between the government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE since early 2006, the navy took up an active role in limiting the LTTE's use of the seas. This resulted in several major sea battles occurring during
11270-515: The short-term, internal security is considered the main threat to the nation's future. In the long-term, the threat is seen as primarily external from current and future superpowers in their rival quests for dominance of the Indian Ocean ; at one point these were the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics or more commonly known as the Soviet Union As head of state ,
11385-474: The start of the civil war in 1981 to its end in 2009, this includes 2 admirals killed in active duty or assassinated. 659 service personnel were killed due to the second JVP insurrection from 1987 to 1990. 53 service personnel were killed and 323 were wounded in the first JVP insurrection from 1971 to 1972. Notable fallen members includes; Women in the Sri Lanka Navy were taken by the help of Women's Royal Naval Service (Britain) in 1985; however, for women in
11500-675: The training institute followed by a practical exposure on board the Sri Lanka Navy fleet at sea. The Naval & Maritime Academy also has specialist schools for training areas such as ASW , diving , medicine , combat , NBCD and sniper. It also conducts the Sub Lieutenant Technical Course for newly commissioned officers , the Junior Naval Staff Course for staff officers and the Long Logistics Management Course (LLMC) for logistics officers of
11615-434: The training of all armed services are carried out in Sri Lanka. With a Defence University, a Staff College , three Military Academies for the three armed services and many specialized training schools and centers members of the Sri Lanka armed forces have a high-level training and professionalism. The Sri Lankan military has received specialized training assistance from other nations such as China , Pakistan , Australia ,
11730-486: The war affected north of the country , where the military presence is significantly higher than the rest of the country even after the end of the conflict, the military operates numerous small restaurants and shops catering mainly for tourists from the south. Most of the roadside cafes along the A9 highway are owned and operated by the Army. The Army runs a luxurious holiday resort called Thalsevana near Kankesanthurai inside
11845-461: The war, the navy moved from a small force focused on coastal patrols to a large combat force concentrating on asymmetric naval warfare capable of amphibious and land operations in support of counter-insurgency operations that progressed into engagements of a new form of littoral zone warfare. It carried out expeditionary deployments in the Indian Ocean in order to intercept rogue arm shipments on
11960-466: Was attempting to flee. On 22 May 2009, Sri Lankan Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa confirmed that 6,261 personnel of the Sri Lankan Armed Forces had lost their lives and 29,551 were wounded during Eelam War IV since July 2006. The Armed Forces along with the LTTE have been accused of committing war crimes during the war, particularly during the final stages. A panel of experts appointed by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to advise him on
12075-595: Was brought under control in a few months. In 1972, Ceylon became the independent socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, with it the Ceylon Armed Forces became known as the Sri Lanka Armed Forces as the Ceylon Army became the Sri Lanka Army, the Royal Ceylon Navy became the Sri Lanka Navy and the Royal Ceylon Air Force became the Sri Lanka Air Force. By the early 1980s, the Sri Lanka Armed Forces mobilized against
12190-555: Was created which at first limited itself to base defence and, as its numbers increased, took part in offensive operations against the LTTE along with the Sri Lankan Army. An elite naval special forces unit called the Special Boat Squadron was created in the late 1980s based on the British Special Boat Service . In order to support ground operations of the army, landing ships and boats were acquired. In early 1990s
12305-422: Was established as the youngest of the three forces. From the outset Britain played a significant role in helping the Ceylon government in developing its armed forces. The growth of the Ceylon Armed Forces was slow due to lack of foreign threat, since Ceylon maintained cordial relations with its neighbor India and had a defence treaty with Britain. In the 1950s it was mainly employed in internal security assisting
12420-550: Was established to monitor the ceasefire and certain progress archived until the LTTE withdrew from the peace talks in 2003. Although the ceasefire continued no peace talks took place till 2005. In 2006, the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) reported that the LTTE had violated the CFA 3,471 times and the Sri Lankan security forces 162 times since the signing of the ceasefire. Some defense reforms also commenced in 2002 when
12535-483: Was established, which was renamed and absorbed into the Royal Navy as the Ceylon Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve during World War II. The current name, Sri Lanka Navy, was constituted in 1972 when Sri Lanka became a republic and with the introduction of new constitution. It played a key role in the Sri Lankan Civil War , conducting surveillance and patrol, amphibious and supply operations. During
12650-858: Was followed by deployments of a mechanized infantry company in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL); field hospital and helicopter flight in the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS); a combat convoy company in the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA); a helicopter flight in the United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic (MINURCA); and military observers for
12765-889: Was largely composed of Malays . It was disbanded in 1873. The lineage of the Sri Lanka Armed Forces dates back to 1881, when the British created a volunteer reserve on the island named the Ceylon Light Infantry Volunteers . Created to supplement the British garrison in Ceylon in the event of an external threat, it gradually increased in size. In 1910 it was renamed the Ceylon Defence Force (CDF) and consisted of several regiments. The CDF mobilized for home defence in World War I and again in World War II when its units were deployed along with allied forces in Asia and Africa. At
12880-453: Was recaptured by the 59th Division of the SLA. Boxed into a small land area north of Mullaitivu, the LTTE with its remaining cadres and leadership was effectively trapped, with this land mass being slowly reduced until May 2009. On 19 May 2009, the Sri Lanka Armed Forces won its final battle against the LTTE with the death of several LTTE leaders, including its head Velupillai Prabhakaran while he
12995-445: Was renamed when Sri Lanka became a republic in 1972. The Army of approximately 255,000 regular and reserve personnel including 90,000 National Guardsmen and is responsible for overseeing land-based military and humanitarian operations. At present the army has deployed 12 divisions and forming 4 more in while carrying out combat operations. Since 2004 the Sri Lankan Army maintains a battalion and support units of around 1000 personnel in
13110-546: Was suspended in Colombo using emergency regulations, the Army took over many of the functions of the Colombo Municipal Council such as supervision of the collection of rubbish, demolition of low income housing and even decoration of the streets during festivals. The Navy's Jetliner (A542) passenger ship is used as a recreational cruise ship providing onboard weddings, receptions, corporate events, parties and other social functions. The Navy's A543 vessel provides
13225-541: Was the policy of His Majesties Government of Ceylon to build a strong navy to be the first line of defence of the island country . As such the fleet was expanded with the addition of, HMCyS Parakrama , another Algerine-class minesweeper (ex-HMS Pickle ), two Canadian-built "River" class frigates HMCyS Mahasena (ex-HMCS Orkney , Violetta and ex-Israeli ship Mivtach ), HMCyS Gajabahu (ex-HMCS Hallowell , ex-Israeli Misnak ) and an oceangoing tug (ex-HMS Adept ). The RCyN took part in several joint naval exercises and
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