The following tables present the ranks and insignia of the

Sri Lanka Navy The Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) (; ) is the navy, 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 ...

. These ranks are similar to Royal Naval officer ranks and the ratings ranks. Sri Lanka does have an

Admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in many navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force. Admiral is ranked above vice admiral and below admiral of ...

rank, but it is only awarded to the Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy on the day of his retirement and was previously given to Chief of Defence Staff which is obsolete now; Admiral

Wasantha Karannagoda Admiral of the Fleet Wasantha Kumar Jayadeva Karannagoda, RSP, VSV, USP, MRIN, MNI (born November 22, 1952) is a Sri Lankan naval officer. He served as the Commander of the Sri Lankan Navy during the last phase of the Sri Lankan Civil War and ...

was the only Sri Lankan naval officer to hold a full admiral rank while in active service.

Officer ranks

*Admiral of the Fleet is the highest rank in the Sri Lanka Navy and has been awarded only once, to

as an honorary rank. It is equivalent to

Field Marshal Field marshal (or field-marshal, abbreviated as FM) is the most senior military rank, senior to the general officer ranks. Usually, it is the highest rank in an army (in countries without the rank of Generalissimo), and as such, few persons a ...

in the

Army An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...

and

Marshal of the Sri Lanka Air Force Marshal is a term used in several official titles in various branches of society. As marshals became trusted members of the courts of Medieval Europe, the title grew in reputation. During the last few centuries, it has been used for elevated of ...

in the

Air Force An air force in the broadest sense is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an army aviati ...

. *Admiral is the

four-star rank Military star ranking is military terminology, used in mainly English speaking countries, to describe general and flag officers. Within NATO's armed forces, the stars are equal to OF-6–10. Star ranking One-star A one-star rank is usual ...

of the Sri Lankan Navy. The rank of full admiral is not always given; this rank is held by a Chief of the Defence Staff (if the chief is appointed from the navy and not from the army or the air force) or is mostly awarded as a ceremonial rank to the Commander of the Navy on his day of retirement. It is the equivalent of

General A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry. In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...

in the

Sri Lanka Army The Sri Lanka Army (; ) is the oldest and largest of the Sri Lanka Armed Forces. The army was officially established as the Ceylon Army in 1949, though the army traces its roots back in 1881 when Ceylon Light Infantry Volunteers was created; ...

and

Air Chief Marshal Air chief marshal (Air Chf Mshl or ACM) is a high-ranking air officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many Commonwealth of Nations, countries that have historical British i ...

in the

Sri Lanka Air Force The Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF; ; ) is the air force, air arm and the youngest of the Sri Lanka Armed Forces. It was founded in 1951 as the Royal Ceylon Air Force (RCyAF) with the assistance of the Royal Air Force (RAF). The SLAF played a major r ...

. *Vice admiral is the

three-star rank Military star ranking is military terminology, used in mainly English speaking countries, to describe general and flag officers. Within NATO's armed forces, the stars are equal to OF-6–10. Star ranking One-star A one-star rank is usual ...

of the Sri Lankan Navy. The rank of Vice admiral is held only by the Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy. It is equivalent to

Lieutenant general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank 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 the battlefield, who was norma ...

in the

and Air marshal in the

. *Rear admiral is the

two-star rank Military star ranking is military terminology, used in mainly English speaking countries, to describe general and flag officers. Within NATO's armed forces, the stars are equal to OF-6–10. Star ranking One-star A one-star rank is usuall ...

of the Sri Lankan Navy. It is equivalent to Major general in the

and

Air vice marshal Air vice-marshal (Air Vce Mshl or AVM) is an air officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is also used by the air forces of many Commonwealth of Nations, countries which have historical British infl ...

in the

. Rear admirals perform the duties of chiefs of staff and deputy chiefs of staff in the naval headquarters, and also they serve as regional commanders e.g. eastern naval command's commander. *Commodore is the

one-star rank Military star ranking is military terminology, used in mainly English speaking countries, to describe general and flag officers. Within NATO's armed forces, the stars are equal to OF-6–10. Star ranking One-star A one-star rank is usually ...

of the Sri Lankan Navy. It is equivalent to

Brigadier Brigadier ( ) is a military rank, the seniority of which depends on the country. In some countries, it is a senior rank above colonel, equivalent to a brigadier general or commodore (rank), commodore, typically commanding a brigade of several t ...

in the

and

Air commodore Air commodore (Air Cdre or Air Cmde) is an air officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is also used by the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence and it is sometimes ...

in the

. Commodores perform various important duties in the naval headquarters like directorate's director. *Captain is a senior officer in the Sri Lanka Navy. The rank has a

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...

rank code of

OF-5 A NATO standard grade scale is used by the NATO and its partners for the purpose of comparing military ranks across the member nations militaries, as well as for a number of administrative tasks. Rank codes NATO maintains a "standard rank sc ...

, equivalent to

colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

in the

and

group captain Group captain (Gp Capt or G/C) is a senior officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many Commonwealth of Nations, countries that have historical British influence. Group cap ...

in the

. Captains have several important duties e.g. they perform as commanding officers of Sri Lanka navy ships.

Branch

Officers are assigned to a branch of the service based on their specialization. Officers of non-executive branches wear a distinction cloth worn between the stripes of a particular colour (with the exception of the Band and Provost branch): * Scarlet - Engineering * Orange – Medical * White - Logistics * Dark green - Electrical * Silver grey - Shipwrights * Blue - Information Technology * Brown - Naval Patrolman * Purple - Legal

Other ranks

Trade branch of sailors

* Quarter Master * Radar Plotter * Survey Recorder * Gunnery Rate * Under Water Weaponriter * Diver * Patrolman * Physical Training Instructor * Engineering Mechanic * Tradesman * Civil Engineering * Hull Engineering * Transport Assistant * Electrician Mate * Radio Electrician Mate * Steward * Chef * Information Technology * Writer * Stores Assistant * Communicator * Medical Assistant * Musician

References

External links

Sri Lanka Navy

Ministry of Defence, Public Security, Law & Order - Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka

{{Military ranks by country

Sri Lanka Navy Ranks and insignia

Officer ranks

Branch

Other ranks

Trade branch of sailors

See also

References

External links