Sri Lanka Army
Sri Lanka Army | ||
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ශ්රී ලංකා යුද්ධ හමුදාව ( Deputy Chief of Staff of the Army | Major General G.R.R.P Jayawardena | |
Notable commanders |
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Insignia | ||
Flag | ||
Presidential Colour |
Sri Lanka Army |
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Components |
History |
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Equipment |
Leadership and ranks |
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The Sri Lanka Army (
The
Background
Pre Anuradhapura period to the Transitional period
The first military engagements in
Other Sri Lankan
Transitional period
Parts of Sri Lanka came under the control of three colonial European powers, namely the Portuguese in the 16th century, the Dutch in the 17th century and the British in the 18th century. Yet, until the entire island was ceded to the British in 1815, regional kingdoms maintained most of their independent defence forces and were able to successfully repulse repeated thrusts by the European armies. However the British, unlike their counterparts, were not primarily restricted to maritime power, and thus had the capability to bring the entire island under their control and to integrate locals into the British defence forces.[7]
At the beginning of the 16th century, modern Europe first came in contact with Sri Lanka. In 1505 a Portuguese fleet, while operating in the Indian seas against Arab traders, was blown off course and landed at Galle, on the southern coast of the island.[8] In 1517 the Portuguese re-appeared, and with the consent of the Sinhalese King established a trading post in Colombo. Having initiated contact with Sri Lanka as traders, the Portuguese soon made themselves political masters of the western seaboard. Numerous forts were soon established, and features of European civilisation was introduced.[7]
The Portuguese are credited with the introduction of European-style
In 1602
Kandyan period
The
Initially the British stationed their forces, which included naval vessels, artillery troops and infantry, to defend the island nation from other foreign powers, using the natural harbor of Trincomalee as their headquarters in Sri Lanka. In 1796, the Swiss and Malay mercenaries who were previously in the service of the Dutch were transferred to the
In 1803 the
History
Ceylon Volunteers
On 1 April 1881 by a proclamation issued by the
- Cadet Battalion Ceylon Light Infantry
- Ceylon Artillery Volunteers
- Ceylon Engineers
- Ceylon Mounted Infantry(CMI)
- Ceylon Planters Rifle Corps (CPRC)[7]
- Ceylon Supply & Transport Corps
- Ceylon Volunteer Medical Corps
These volunteers saw active service when a contingent of the Ceylon Mounted Infantry (CMI) in 1900, and a contingent of the Ceylon Planters Rifle Corps (CPRC) in 1902, took part in the
Ceylon Defence Force Ordinance No. 8 of 1910
In 1910, with the enactment of the Ceylon Defence Force Ordinance No. 8 of 1910, the Ceylon Defence Force (CDF) was formed bring under it all volunteer units for administrative, training and logistics purposes. It continued to grow throughout the early period of the 20th century.
During the
In 1922, the CDF was honoured by the presentation of the
In 1939, the CDF was mobilised and an enormous expansion took place which required the raising of new units such as the
Army Act No. 17 of 1949
In 1948 Sri Lanka gained independence from Britain, becoming a Dominion within the Commonwealth and a year earlier Ceylon entered into the bi-lateral Anglo-Ceylonese Defence Agreement of 1947. This was followed by the Army Act No. 17 of 1949 which was passed by Parliament on April 11, 1949, and formalised in Gazette Extraordinary No. 10028 of October 10, 1949 marked the creation of the Ceylon Army, consisting of a regular and a volunteer force, the later being the successor of the disbanded CDF.[12][13] Therefore, October 10, 1949, is considered the day the Ceylon Army was raised, and as such October 10 is celebrated annually as Army Day. Brigadier James Sinclair, Earl of Caithness was appointed as Commandant of the Ceylon Army. The Defence Agreement of 1947 provided the assurance that British would come to the aid of Ceylon in the event it was attacked by a foreign power and provided British military advisers to build up the country's military. In November, a Ceylon Army Guard takes over duties at Echelon Barracks from the Guard of the British Army.[14]
The
Due to a lack of any major external threats, the growth of the army was slow, and the primary duties of the army quickly moved towards internal security by the mid-1950s, the same time as the first Ceylonese Army Commander
During the 1950s and 1960s the army was called upon to carry to essential services when the workers went on strike which were organised by the left-wing parties and trade unions for various reasons, the most notable was the 1961 Colombo Port strike, during which ships threatened to bypass Colombo port and the country almost starved. To counter these common strikes several units were formed, who were employed in development work when there were no strikes. New regiments were formed, which included the Ceylon Armoured Corps, Ceylon Sinha Regiment and the Ceylon Pioneer Corps.[15]
In 1962 several senior officers
In 1971, the Army found itself facing a full blown insurgency, when the JVP Insurrection broke out in April 1971. Having been caught by surprise, as a result of failure to comprehend the magnitude of the insurgency from intelligence reports. Although completely ill-prepared to deal with an insurgency, lacking weapons, ammunition, equipment and training; the army responded quickly and successfully defeated the insurgency by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna by mid 1971.
In May 1972, when Ceylon was proclaimed a republic and changed its name from the Dominion of Ceylon to the Republic of Sri Lanka, all Army units were renamed accordingly.[16]
By the late 1970s the army was confronted with a new conflict, this time with
The war with the LTTE was halted several times for peace negotiations, the last of which following the signing of a ceasefire agreement in 2002 with the help of international mediation. However, renewed violence broke out in December 2005 and following the collapse of peace talks, the Army has been involved in the heavy fighting that has resumed in the north and east of the country.
Since 1980 the army has undertaken many operations against the LTTE rebels. The major operations conducted by the army eventually led to the recapture of
Deployments
As of present, the bulk of the Sri Lankan Army is deployed for domestic defensive and combat operations, while a sizable foreign deployment is maintained.
Domestic
Due to the Sri Lankan Civil War the army has been on a constant mobilized (including volunteers) state since the 1980s. The majority of the army has been deployed in the North and Eastern provinces of the country, which includes 14 Divisions coming under six operational headquarters and 2 independent Divisions and several independent Brigades. The army is also based in other parts of the island for internal security including a Division for the defence of the capital.
Foreign
The Sri Lanka Army currently participates in several major overseas deployments:
- Lebanon – a mechanized infantry company with combat support personal in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon since November 2010.[23]
- South Sudan – Sri Lanka Army's entry into South Sudan in 2014 as the newest member in the UN peace keeping family, marks a milestone in the Army history. Sri Lanka became the first country to deploy a surge contingent in South Sudan.Army maintains a SRIMED Level 2 Hospital, manned entirely by Sri Lanka's Sri Lanka Army Medical Corps personnel.[24][25]
- Mali – an infantry battalion with support personal that has been deployed as part of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali in 2016[26]
Peacekeeping
The Sri Lanka Army has taken part in two
Sri Lanka Army's newest contingent of 243 professionally-trained Army personnel in the Combat Convoy Company (CCC), well-prepared to serve in the United Nations (UN) Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) left the island on 21 April 2021.[37]
Organization structure
The professional head of the army is the
Administrative
The
The headquarters of field formations each have its own staff. For instance a divisional headquarters is divided into a GS branch as an AQ branch, each headed by a Colonel and is responsible for operations & training and administration & logistics respectively. Similarly, a Brigade Major and Major AQ is responsible for operations and administration in a brigade.[39]
Like the
Regiments and corps
Operational command
Organized and controlled by the Army General Staff at Army HQ, various formations are raised from time to time to suit various security requirements and operations in the country and overseas. The Army at present has deployed 12
Each SFHQ and most divisions are commanded by a
In other parts of the country, there are Area and Sub-Area Headquarters.
Formations
- Independent Brigade HQ
- Commander Security Unit
- 1 Corps, based in Kilinochchi
- Reserve Strike Force
- 53 Division, based at Inamaluwa, Dambulla[41]
- Air Mobile Brigade
- 532 Brigade
- 533 Brigade
- 58 Division
- 581 Brigade
- 582 Brigade
- 583 Brigade
- 53 Division, based at Inamaluwa, Dambulla[41]
- Special Operations Force
- Commando Brigade
- Special Forces Brigade
- Security Forces Headquarters - Jaffna(SFHQ-J)
- 51 Division, based in Jaffna
- 511 Brigade
- 512 Brigade
- 513 Brigade
- 52 Division, based in the Jaffna Peninsula
- 521 Brigade
- 522 Brigade
- 523 Brigade
- 55 Division, based in Elephant Pass Military Base, Jaffna Peninsula[41]
- 551 Brigade
- 552 Brigade
- 553 Brigade
- Security Forces Headquarters - Wanni (SFHQ-W)[41]
- Area Headquarters Mannar, Mannar
- 21 Division
- 54 Division
- 56 Division
- 61 Division
- 62 Division
- Security Forces Headquarters - East(SFHQ-E)
- 22 Division, based in Trincomalee[42]
- 23 Division, based in Poonani, Batticaloa District[43]
- 24 Division
- Mullaittivu District
- 64 Division, operating in the Mullaittivu District
- 68 Division, Kombavil, Mullaittivu District
- 14 Division, based in Colombo, Western Province (formerly Operation Command Colombo)
- 141 Brigade, based in Gampaha
- 142 Brigade, based in Colombo and Kalutara
- 143 Brigade, based in Puttalam and Kurunegala
- 61 Division
- 11 Division
- 12 Division
- Army Training Command
- Logistic Command
- Specialist Formations
- Engineers Division
- Armoured Brigade
- Artillery Brigade
- Mechanized Infantry Brigade
- Signals Brigade
- Corps of Agriculture and Livestock
Training
At the formation of the Ceylon Army in 1949, the need to train a standing army was felt strongly since the Ceylon Defence Force had operated on a regimental training model to maintain the efficiency of its volunteers culminating with the annual two week training camp at the
All pre-commissioning training for officers are carried out at the
Selected
The General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University (KDU) formed in 1981 and situated in Ratmalana, fourteen kilometres south of Colombo, as only university specializing in defence studies in the island. 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 academic work and as sent to their service academies for their final year of training. In addition KDU conducts postgraduate and masters programs in defence related subjects for officers who attend staff and defence courses at DSCSC and NDC.[39][40]
Training for the new recruits are carried out by the
At its formation the armed forces of Sri Lanka had limited indigenous training facilities, especially in technical and advanced roles, they have depended greatly on military training provided by foreign countries. The United Kingdom played a major role in the early years following independence and have continued to be an important source of military expertise to the Sri Lankan military. Other sources include India, Pakistan, the United States, Australia and Malaysia. Additionally, in an agreement reached in 1984, Israeli security personnel (reportedly from
The Sri Lankan Army has also provided special training to the United States Army on their request as well as many other countries in military education regarding civilian rescue, jungle combat, and guerilla warfare etc.[46]
Training establishments
Training Centres[47]
|
Regimental Training Centres[47]
|
Personnel
As of 2024 the Sri Lanka Army had 150,000 personnel.[2] In 2023 the army had 200,783 personnel and the number was reduced to 150,000 in 2024.[2]
In late 1987, the army had a total estimated strength of up to 40,000 troops, about evenly divided between regular army personnel and reservists on active duty. The approximately 20,000 regular army troops represented a significant increase over the 1983 strength of only 12,000. Aggressive recruitment campaigns following the 1983 riots raised this number to 16,000 by early 1985.[40] By 1990 the army had expanded to over 90,000 personnel and by 2007, it had expanded to over 120,000.[48]
Since the Sri Lankan armed forces are all volunteer services, all personal in the Sri Lanka Army have volunteered as regular personnel or reservists. This should not be confused with the traditional term volunteers used for reservists or reservist units. Recruitment of the personal are carried island wide with a restrictions in the northern and eastern provinces during the civil war in those areas. The Rifle Corps is the only territorial unit that carries out recruitment from a specific area.
Parama Weera Vibhushanaya recipients
The Parama Weera Vibhushanaya is the highest award for valour awarded in the Sri Lankan armed forces. Army recipients include;
- A.F. Lafir †
- Lieutenant-Colonel Lalith Jayasinghe †
- Major G. S. Jayanath †
- Major K. A. Gamage †
- Major W.M.I.S.B. Walisundara †
- Captain Saliya Upul Aladeniya †
- Captain H. G. M. H. I. Megawarna †
- Lieutenant U. G. A. S. Samaranayake †
- K.W.T. Nissanka †
- Warrant Officer 2nd Class Pasan Gunasekera †
- Staff Sergeant H. G. S. Bandara †
- D. M. S. Chandrasiri Bandara †
- Sergeant P.N. Suranga †
- Sergeant A.M. Anura †
- Corporal Gamini Kularatne †
- Corporal K. Chandana †
- Corporal P. M. Nilantha Pushpa Kumara †
- Corporal A. M. N. P. Abesinghe †
- Lance Corporal W. I. M. Seneviratne †
- Lance-Corporal T. G. D. R. Dayananda †
- Lance-Corporal R. M. D. M. Rathnayake †
- Lance-Corporal A. M. B. H. G. Abeyrathnebanda †
- Lance-Corporal K.G.M. Rajapaksha †
Notable fallen members
Over 23,790 Sri Lankan armed forces personnel were killed since the begin of the civil war in 1981 to its end in 2009, this includes 12 general officers killed in active duty or assassinated.[49] 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.[50] Notable fallen members include;
- Lt. Gen. Denzil Kobbekaduwa † – Overall Operational Commander, Northern Sector.[51]
- Lt. Gen. Deputy Chief of the Staff of the Army.[51]
- Lt. Gen. GOC, 3 Division.[52]
- Maj. Gen. Vijaya Wimalaratne † – Former Jaffna Brigade Commander.[51]
- Maj. Gen. Lakshman 'Lucky' Wijayaratne † – Former brigade commander, 22 Brigade.[52]
- Maj. Gen. GOC, 54 Division.[52]
- Maj. Gen. Larry Wijeratne † – Former brigade commander, 51-4 Brigade.[52]
- Maj. Gen. Susantha Mendis † – Former brigade commander, 51-2 Brigade.[52]
- Maj. Gen. Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army, Overall Operational Commanderof Northern Sector, General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 53 Division.
- Maj. Gen. Ananda Hamangoda † – Former brigade commander, 51-2 Brigade.[53]
- Brig. Ariyasinghe Ariyapperuma † – Former Commander, Northern Command
- Brig. Bhathiya Jayatilleka † – former Brigade commander, 54-1 brigade
- Brig. Rohitha Neil Akmeemana † – former Brigade commander, Elephant Pass.[52]
- Col. Tuan Nizam Muthaliff † – Former commanding officer 1st Battalion Military Intelligence Corps.[54]
- Maj. 1971 Insurrection).
Directorate of Rehabilitation
The Directorate of Rehabilitation was established with the intention and focus towards the rehabilitation of Officers and Other Ranks Wounded in Action. However, with the increase of a number of casualties due to the operations, the Sri Lanka Army proceeded to utilize the services of battle casualties with the view of obtaining a productive service from these individuals. As a result, under mentioned institutes had been established.[55]
- Ranaviru Sevana
- Ranaviru Apparels
- Abhimansala Wellness Resort 1 (Anuradhapura)
- Abhimansala Wellness Resort 2 (Kamburupitiya)
- Abhimansala Wellness Resort 3 (Panagoda)
- Ranaviru Resources Centre
- Mihindu Seth Medura
Equipment
In the 1980s, the army expanded its range of weapons from the original stock of
To meet the threat posed by predominantly the LTTE, Army purchased modern military hardware including 50-calibre
Though the weapons were obsolete at the time of purchase, security forces found them to be successful in combat. Land mines proved to be the most lethal threat to personnel, as a number of mines were deployed against unprotected trucks and buses by the LTTE in the northern and eastern Provinces. These land mines weighed approximately 50 – 100 kg, against which no armoured vehicle that the SLA possessed was able to withstand the blast effect. Consequently, Armscor Buffels – South African armoured personnel carriers constructed on a Unimog chassis – were imported in quantity. By 1987 Sri Lanka's indigenous Unicorn APC had been engineered from the Buffel, followed by the improved Unibuffel class.[59] Both the Unicorn and the Unibuffel are assembled by the Sri Lanka Electrical & Mechanical Engineers (SLEME).[40][57]
In recent years, Sri Lanka has become increasingly reliant on China for weapons.[60] This is due to most European nations and the United States Governments passing regulations about the selling of weaponry to nations which are suffering or suffered from internal conflict.[61] However the United States has expressed its intent to maintain military training assistance. Recently the Sri Lankan Army started to produce locally weapons such as a new multiple rocket launcher, with 10 barrels and a firing range of 20 km.[62] The SLEME is also producing vehicles for transport, the UniCOLT series trucks,[63] and landmine-resistant vehicles, the UniAIMOVs and the UniAVALONs.[64] In 2020, the Army shipped several modernized Unibuffels to the Sri Lankan forces who are serving in a peacekeeping mission in Mali.[65]
Sri Lanka also continues to receive a variety of weapons from Britain, India, Japan, Pakistan, Israel and other former suppliers.[60][66]
Armour
Multi Purpose Trucks
Type | Origin | Quantity | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
UniCOLT | Sri Lanka | N/A | Multi Purpose Truck |
Tata Model 1210 SD | India | Field Artillery Tractor | |
Tata Defence Troop Carrier LPT 709 | India | Troop carrier | |
Ashok Leyland Stallion | India | Troop carrier | |
NORTHBENZ Tiema XC2200 | China | Troop carrier, Field Artillery Tractor | |
Tatra 815 | Czechoslovakia / Czech Republic |
Troop Carrier, Heavy Equipment Transporter | |
Sinotruk HOWO 371 | China | Heavy Equipment Transporter | |
Tata LPTA 1628 6x6 | India | Used for UN missions. |
Artillery
Type | Origin | Quantity | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Rocket artillery | |||
RM-70 Multiple rocket launcher
|
Czechoslovak Socialist Republic | 22[67] | |
CRD 122mm Multiple rocket launcher | Sri Lanka | N/A | Locally produced by Centre for Research and Development (CRD) of the Ministry of Defence.[77] |
Towed artillery | |||
Type 56 85 mm field gun | China | N/A[67] | 85 mm field gun |
Type 66 152 mm gun-howitzer
|
40[67] | 152 mm gun-howitzer | |
Type 59 130mm field gun
|
40[67] | 130 mm field gun | |
Type 60 122mm howitzer
|
74[67] | 122 mm howitzer | |
Ordnance QF 25 pounder
|
United Kingdom | N/A | Field guns – ceremonial gun troop |
76 mm mountain gun M48 | Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia | N/A | |
Mortars | |||
M-43
|
Soviet Union | 55[67] | 160 mm heavy mortar |
Type 86 (W86) | China | 55 | 120 mm towed mortar |
Type 84 (W84) | N/A | 82 mm mortar | |
Type 89 (W89)
|
N/A | 60 mm light mortar | |
Weapon locating radar | |||
AN/TPQ-36 Firefinder Radar
|
United States | N/A | Weapon locating and counter-battery radar |
SLC-2 Radar | China | N/A |
Special Vehicles
Type | Origin | Quantity | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
BJ2022 | China | 10[78] | Field Communication Vehicle |
Infantry weapons
Welfare
Sri Lanka Army Seva Vanitha Unit
Inaugurated on 12 July 1984,[84] Sri Lanka Army Seva Vanitha Unit[85] functions with the main objective of providing welfare facilities to the next of kin of war heroes who have sacrificed their lives, gone missing in action or injured whilst defending the sovereignty and territorial integrity of their motherland while also empowering the families of the serving Army personnel. Traditionally the organization functions under the leadership of the wife of the serving Commander of the Army, and the members are the spouses of Army Officers as well as Lady Officers. The organization extends to 22 Regimental branches[86][84] functioning under the patronage of the wives of the respective Regimental Commanders.
Sri Lanka Army Seva Vanitha Unit conducts various welfare projects such as Viru Kekulu pre-schools, day care centres, welfare shops, bakeries and salons,[87] with the committed contribution of the dedicated membership. Construction of houses, giving away of educational scholarships and assisting in times of natural disasters, are done at both organizational and Regimental levels. The volunteer service extended by the spouses of the Army Officers whilst multitasking at their roles as wives, mothers and professionals, is an immense strength to Sri Lanka Army.[87]
Gallery
-
SLA HJ-8.
-
BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicle
-
T-55AM2.
-
SLA Unibuffel.
-
SLA MIR weapons
-
SLA Bomb Disposal Units on Victory Day Parade.
-
WZ551(Type 92) infantry fighting vehicles.
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Combat Rider Teams, Special Forces Regiment
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Type 59 130mm field gun
See also
- Awards and decorations of the military of Sri Lanka
- Uniforms of the Sri Lanka Army
- Sri Lanka Army ranks and insignia
- Sri Lanka National Guard
Further reading
- Army, Sri Lanka. (1st Edition – October 1999). Sri Lanka army: 50 years on, 1949–1999 ISBN 978-955-8089-02-6
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