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 it's roots back in 1881 when Ceylon Light Infantry Volunteers was created; the army was renamed as the 'Sri Lanka Army' when Sri Lanka became a republic in 1972. In 2024, the Army had approximately 150,000 personnel.
The Parama Weera Vibhushanaya (PWV) is Sri Lanka's highest military decoration, awarded for acts of exceptional valour in wartime. Parama Weera Vibhushanaya translates as the "Order of the Ultimate Brave", and the award is granted for "individual acts of gallantry and conspicuous bravery of the most exceptional order in the face of the enemy". Corporal Gamini Kularatne, was the first recipient. As of January 2021, the medal has been awarded 31 times, of which all were posthumous and arose from actions in the Sri Lankan Civil War. Of the 31 awardees, 28 have been from the Sri Lanka Army, two have been from the Sri Lanka Navy and one has been from the Sri Lanka Air Force.
The Weerodara Vibhushanaya is the second-highest decoration awarded by the Military of Sri Lanka awarded for:
...individual acts of gallantry and conspicuous bravery of a non-military nature of the most exceptional order performed voluntarily with no regard to his own life and security with the objective of saving or safeguarding the life or lives of a person or personnel imperiled by death or for a meritorious act or a series of acts of a humane nature of an exceptional order displayed in saving life from drowning, fire and rescue operations in mines, floods and similar calamities under circumstances of grave bodily injury or great danger to the life of the rescuer...
The Vishista Seva Vibhushanaya is awarded to senior officers of the Military of Sri Lanka in recognition of:
...exceptional, distinguished and loyal service provided they count not less than twenty-five years of service and possess an unblemished record of moral and military conduct...
The Karyakshama Seva Vibhushanaya is a medal awarded to commissioned officers of the Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force. Established on 7 January 1986, it replaced the Efficiency Decoration (Ceylon) with effect from 22 May 1972 with volunteer officers who have completed the stipulated required years of service qualifying to the award. Since 2020, with the Karyakshama Seva Padakkama becoming opened to all ranks, the KSV became limited to award for senior volunteer officers.
The Sri Lanka Volunteer Naval Force (SLVNF) is the active-duty volunteer reserve force of the Sri Lanka Navy. The SLVNF, which consists of the volunteer force and the volunteer reserve is separate from the Regular Naval Force, which consists of the Regular Force consisting of professional naval officers and sailors, and its Regular Reserve, which comprises personal who have a mobilization obligation following their service in the regular force.
The Sri Lanka Signals Corps (SLSC) is a combat support corps of the Sri Lanka Army, responsible for providing military communications, information technology and electronic warfare support. The corps is made up of a signals brigade, ten regular regiments and one volunteer regiment. It is responsible for installing, maintaining and operating all types of telecommunications equipment and information systems. It is headquartered at the Panagoda Cantonment.
The current decorations and medals of the Sri Lanka Police were adapted from those of the Dominion of Ceylon in 1972 when Sri Lanka became a republic.
The Karyakshama Seva Padakkama is a service medal awarded by the Military of Sri Lanka to all servicepersons of the Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force in recognition of "...long, meritorious, loyal and valuable service of proven capacity". Established on 7 January 1986, the medal does not confer any individual precedence.
The Prashansaniya Seva Vibhushanaya is a military decoration awarded to officers of the Sri Lanka Volunteer Naval Force in recognition of excellent service. Inaugurated on 31 January 2000, the medal does not confer any individual precedence. It is equivalent to the Reserve Decoration of the Royal Navy, volunteer officers of the Ceylon Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve had been awarded the Decoration for Officers of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve from 1938 to 1950.
The Prashansaniya Seva Padakkama is a medal awarded by the Military of Sri Lanka to all noncomissioned officers and seamen of the Sri Lanka Volunteer Naval Force in recognition of "long, meritorious, loyal, valuable, service and unblemished conduct". It was established on 31 January 2000, and does not confer any individual precedence. Other ranks of the Ceylon Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve had been awarded the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Long Service and Good Conduct Medal from 1938 to 1950.
The Sri Lanka Armed Forces is 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 the Sri Lankan population actively serving.
General Shantha H.S. Kottegoda, WWV, RWP, RSP, VSV, USP is a retired senior Sri Lanka Army general. He was the seventeenth commander of the Sri Lankan Army from 1 July 2004 – 5 December 2005. He had served as the Sri Lankan Ambassador to Brazil and Thailand. In April 2019, following the Easter Sunday bombings he was appointed as the permanent secretary to the Ministry of Defence.
Major General Sumith Balasuriya, VSV, USP is a retired Sri Lankan army general, who was the former Commandant of the Volunteer Force; Vice Chancellor, General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University and GOC, 23 Division.
General Rohan De Silva Daluwatte, WWV, RWP, RSP, VSV, USP was a general officer of the Sri Lanka Army. He served as Commander of the Sri Lanka Army and Chief of the Defence Staff. Following his retirement from the army, he served as Sri Lankan Ambassador to Brazil among other appointments.
General Lionel Piyananda Balagalle,, was a senior Sri Lanka Army officer, who served as the Commander of the Sri Lanka Army and the Chief of the Defence Staff. He is known for formalising military intelligence operations within the Sri Lanka Army, having founded the Directorate of Military Intelligence and the Military Intelligence Corps.
General Gerard Hector "Gerry" de Silva, RWP, VSV, USP was a senior Sri Lanka Army officer. He is the 5th Chancellor of General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University since 20 January 2020. He was the 13th Commander of the Sri Lankan Army and Sri Lankan High Commissioner to Pakistan.
Major General Priyanka Fernando, RWP, USP, is a former senior Sri Lanka Army general. He has served as the Director General of General Staff (DGGS); General officer commanding (GOC), 58 Division; Commandant of the Ranaviru (veterans) Resource Centre; Director of Rehabilitation; and the Director of Real Estate and Quartering. He served as the Colonel of the Regiment of the Mechanized Infantry Regiment and was the Sri Lankan Minister Counsellor (Defence) in London.
Major General Galwaduge Janaka Laksiri Waduge, RWP, RSP, VSV, USP, ndu is a retired Sri Lankan army general. He was the 10th Commander Security Forces Headquarters – Central and the former Colonel commandant of Military Intelligence Corps. He retired from active service in 2020 upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 55 for Sri Lankan Armed Forces Personnel.
Major General C. A. Mike N. Silva, VSV was a senior Sri Lanka Army officer who served as the Chief of Staff of the Army and the Commandant of the Volunteer Force. He was the first Commandant of the Kotelawala Defence Academy.
