Commander of the Air Force (Sri Lanka)

Last updated
Commander of the Sri Lanka Air Force
ශ්‍රී ලංකා ගුවන් හමුදාපති
Incumbent
Air Marshal Udeni Rajapaksa
since 30 June 2023
Air Force Ensign of Sri Lanka.svg  Sri Lanka Air Force
Member of National Security Council
Reports to Ministry of Defence
Chief of Defence Staff
Residence Air Force House, Colombo
Seat Air Force Headquarters, Kumaran Rutnam road, Colombo 2
AppointerThe President
Term length Not fixed
Constituting instrument Air Force Act, No. 41 of 1949
Formation2 March 1951;73 years ago (1951-03-02)
as Commander of the Royal Ceylon Air Force
First holder Group Captain Graham Bladon (as Commander RCyAF)
DeputyChief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Air Force
Website Official website

The Commander of the Air Force is the professional head of the Sri Lanka Air Force. The current Commander of the Air Force is Air Marshal Sudarshana Pathirana. It is a position comparable to that of Chief of the Air Staff of the Royal Air Force. The Chief of Staff of the Air Force acts as a deputy commander within the command structure.

Contents

All serving air force commanders have been of the rank of air marshal, promoted to the honorary rank of air chief marshal on retirement or on appointment to Chief of Defence Staff (CDS).

List of commanders

No.PictureCommanderTook officeLeft officeTime in officeUnitRef.
1
No image.png
Bladon, Graham Air Commodore
Graham Bladon
CBE

(1899–1967)
5 May 195024 October 19588 years, 172 days [1]
2
No image.png
Barker, John Air Vice Marshal
John Barker
CB , CBE , DFC

(1910–2004)
24 October 195812 November 19624 years, 19 days [1]
3
No image.png
Amerasekera, RohanAir Vice Marshal
Rohan Amerasekera
DFC & Bar

(1916–1974)
12 November 196231 December 19708 years, 49 days No. 2 Squadron SLAF [1]
4
No image.png
Mendis, PaddyAir Chief Marshal
Deshamanya Paddy Mendis
(1933–2022)
1 January 19711 November 19765 years, 305 days No. 2 Squadron SLAF
No. 5 Squadron SLAF
[1]
5
No image.png
Goonatilake, HarryAir Chief Marshal
Harry Goonatilake
USP

(1929–2008)
1 November 197630 April 19814 years, 180 days No. 2 Squadron SLAF [1]
6
No image.png
Perera, DickAir Chief Marshal
Dick Perera
VSV
1 May 198130 April 19853 years, 364 days No. 2 Squadron SLAF [1]
7
No image.png
Fernando, WalterAir Chief Marshal
Walter Fernando
VSV
1 May 198531 July 19905 years, 91 days No. 4 Squadron SLAF [1]
8
No image.png
Gunawardena, TerryAir Chief Marshal
Terry Gunawardena
VSV
1 August 199016 February 19943 years, 199 days No. 2 Squadron SLAF [1]
9
No image.png
Ranasinghe, OliverAir Chief Marshal
Oliver Ranasinghe
RWP , VSV , USP
17 February 19945 March 19984 years, 16 days No. 5 Squadron SLAF [1]
10
No image.png
Weerakkody, JayalathAir Chief Marshal
Jayalath Weerakkody
RWP , VSV , USP
6 March 199815 July 20024 years, 131 days No. 2 Squadron SLAF
No. 4 Squadron SLAF
[1]
11
No image.png
Perera, DonaldAir Chief Marshal
Donald Perera
VSV , USP
16 July 200211 June 20063 years, 330 days No. 2 Squadron SLAF [1]
12
No image.png
Goonetileke, RoshanMarshal of the Air Force
Roshan Goonetileke
RWP , VSV , USP

(born 1956)
11 June 200627 February 20114 years, 261 days No. 4 Squadron SLAF [1]
13
Harsha Abeywickrama.jpg
Abeywickrama, HarshaAir Chief Marshal
Harsha Abeywickrama
RWP , RSP , VSV , USP
27 February 201127 February 20143 years, 0 days No. 5 Squadron SLAF [1]
14
Air Chief Marshal Kolitha Aravinda Gunatilleke.jpg
Gunathilake, KolithaAir Chief Marshal
Kolitha Gunathilake
RWP , RSP , VSV , USP
27 February 201415 June 20151 year, 108 days No. 2 Squadron SLAF [1]
15
No image.png
Bulathsinghala, GaganAir Chief Marshal
Gagan Bulathsinghala
RWP , RSP , USP , VSV

(born 1961)
15 June 201512 September 20161 year, 89 days No. 4 Squadron SLAF [1]
16
Air Force Chief Marshall Kapila Jayampathy and Rear Adm. Dharmendra Wettewa.jpg
Jayampathy, KapilaAir Chief Marshal
Kapila Jayampathy
WWV , RWP , RSP , VSV , USP
13 September 201629 May 20192 years, 258 days No. 4 Squadron SLAF [1]
17
Sumangala Dias PACAF 1- portrait.jpg
Dias, SumangalaAir Chief Marshal
Sumangala Dias
RSP
30 May 20192 November 20201 year, 156 days No. 6 Squadron SLAF [1]
18
No image.png
PATHIRANA, SudarshanaAir Chief Marshal
Sudarshana Pathirana
WWV , RWP , RSP , VSV , USP
2 November 202029 June 20232 years, 239 days No. 5 Squadron SLAF
No. 10 Squadron SLAF
19
No image.png
Rajapaksa, UdeniAir Marshal
Udeni Rajapaksa
RWP , VSV , USP
30 June 2023Incumbent1 year, 25 days No. 2 Squadron SLAF
No. 8 Squadron SLAF

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 "Past Commanders". airforce.lk. Sri Lanka Air Force. Retrieved 5 May 2021.