The following tables present the ranks and insignia of the

Sri Lanka Army ta, இலங்கை இராணுவம் , image = File:Sri Lanka Army Logo.png , image_size = 180px , caption = Emblem of the Sri Lanka Army , start_date ...

. The ranks are similar to the British army officer ranks and the other ranks. At its formation in 1949, the Ceylon Army adopted the rank structures of the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurkha ...

. The highest rank in the Sri Lanka Army is

Field Marshal Field marshal (or field-marshal, abbreviated as FM) is the most senior military rank, ordinarily senior to the general officer ranks. Usually, it is the highest rank in an army and as such few persons are appointed to it. It is considered as ...

, though the rank has no appointment in the army, it was first awarded in 2015 as an honorary rank to

Sarath Fonseka Field Marshal Gardihewa Sarath Chandralal Fonseka ( si, ගාර්දිහේවා සරත් චන්ද්‍රලාල් ෆොන්සේකා, ta, சரத் பொன்சேகா; born 18 December 1950), commonly know ...

for his war time service, the rank has been awarded for his whole life. The highest rank of a serving officer is that of

Lieutenant General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on th ...

(

three-star rank An officer of three-star rank is a senior commander in many of the armed services holding a rank described by the NATO code of OF-8. The term is also used by some armed forces which are not NATO members. Typically, three-star officers hold the ...

) which is held by the Commander of the Army. The rank of full general (

four-star rank A four-star rank is the rank of any four-star officer described by the NATO OF-9 code. Four-star officers are often the most senior commanders in the armed services, having ranks such as (full) admiral, (full) general, colonel general, army ge ...

) is given to the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), it is also awarded to the Commander of the Army on the day of his retirement (if the CDS is not appointed from the army). Commanders of the Army since the late 1980s have held the rank of

lieutenant general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on th ...

with the exception of

and

Shavendra Silva General Shavendra Silva, WWV, RWP, RSP, VSV, USP ( si, ශවේන්ද්‍ර සිල්වා, ta, ஷவேந்திர சில்வா) is a Sri Lanka Army officer. He is the Chief of Defence Staff and former Commander o ...

who were promoted to full generals while serving as commanders of the army, on the other hand, Shavendra Silva got the duty of the Chief of Defence Staff simultaneously holding the appointment of commander of the army.

Officers

Other Ranks

Retired officer's rank

An officer of or above rank of captain when retired from service, may retain his/her rank and indicate that he/she is a retired officer with the use of the abbreviation (Rtd) immediately after his/her name.

References

Bibliography

* Army, Sri Lanka. (1st Edition - October 1999). ''"50 YEARS ON" - 1949–1999'',

Sri Lanka Army ta, இலங்கை இராணுவம் , image = File:Sri Lanka Army Logo.png , image_size = 180px , caption = Emblem of the Sri Lanka Army , start_date ...

External links

Sri Lanka Army

Ministry of Defence, Public Security, Law & Order - Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
{{Military ranks by country

Sri Lanka Army ta, இலங்கை இராணுவம் , image = File:Sri Lanka Army Logo.png , image_size = 180px , caption = Emblem of the Sri Lanka Army , start_date ...

Officers

Other Ranks

Retired officer's rank

See also

References

Bibliography

External links