Jayalath Weerakkody

Last updated

Jayalath Weerakkody
Allegiance Sri Lanka
Service/branch Air Force Ensign of Sri Lanka.svg Sri Lanka Air Force
Rank Air Chief Marshal
Commands held Commander of the Sri Lankan Air Force
Battles/wars Sri Lankan Civil War
Awards Rana Wickrama Padakkama,
Vishista Seva Vibhushanaya,
Uttama Seva Padakkama
Other workSri Lankan High Commissioner to Pakistan

Air Chief Marshal Jayalath Weerakkody, RWP, VSV, USP is a Sri Lanka air officer who served as commander of the Air Force from 1999 to 2002. He served as Sri Lankan High Commissioner to Pakistan.

Contents

Early life and education

Educated at Dharmashoka College, Ambalangoda, where he excelled in sports and swimming.[ citation needed ]

SLAF career

Weerakkody joined the Sri Lanka Air Force as an officer cadet in the general duties pilot branch in the officer cadet intake 1 of the Air Force Academy, China Bay on 12 January 1972. Serving as a squadron pilot, he became a qualified flying instructor. He went on to command the No. 4 Squadron SLAF, No. 2 Squadron SLAF and SLAF Colombo. Weerakkody served as the Senior Air Staff Officer, Base Commander SLAF Anuradhapura, Northern Zonal Commander, Director Operations and Chief of Staff. He followed the Junior Commanders Course at the Air Force Administrative College, attended the Air Command and Staff College and the National Defence College, New Delhi. He was appointed commander of the Air Force on 6 March 1998 and was promoted to the rank of Air Marshal. During his tenure, the SLAF acquired MiG-27 ground-attack aircraft and upgraded its fleet of trainers by acquiring Nanchang CJ-6s and K-8 Karakorums. He retired on 15 July 2002 and was appointed Sri Lankan High Commissioner to Pakistan. In 2007 he was promoted to the rank of Air Chief Marshal along with nine other former service chiefs. His awards included thrice being awarded the Rana Wickrama Padakkama for gallantry and the service medals Vishista Seva Vibhushanaya and the Uttama Seva Padakkama. [1]

See also

Related Research Articles

Marshal of the Sri Lanka Air Force W. D. M. J. Roshan Goonetileke, RWP and bar, VSV, USP, PhD (Hon), FIM (SL), ndc, psc is a senior officer of the Sri Lanka Air Force. The current Governor of the Western Province, Goonetileke had served as the Chief of the Defence Staff and Commander of the Sri Lankan Air Force.

Air Chief Marshal G Donald Perera VSV, USP is a Sri Lanka air officer who served as commander of the Air Force from 2002 to 2006 and Chief of the Defence Staff from 2006 to 2009. He served as Sri Lankan Ambassador to Israel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No. 2 Squadron SLAF</span> Military unit

No. 2 "Heavy Transport" Squadron is a squadron of the Sri Lanka Air Force. It currently operates the C-130 Hercules and Antonov 32 from SLAF Katunayake.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No. 4 Squadron SLAF</span> Military unit

No. 4 (VVIP/VIP) Helicopter Squadron is a squadron of the Sri Lanka Air Force. It currently operates Bell 412/412EP/212/206JR from SLAF Ratmalana for VVIP/VIP Air transport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">P. B. Premachandra</span> Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Air Force (born 1957)

Air Vice Marshal P.B. Premachandra is a highly decorated senior Sri Lankan Air Force officer, who served as the Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Air Force.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harsha Abeywickrama</span>

Air Chief Marshal Harsha Abeywickrema, RWP, RSP, VSV, USP, rcds, psc, qfi is a senior Sri Lankan air force officer and fighter pilot, who served as the Commander of the Sri Lankan Air Force from 2012 to 2014 and later went on to serve as the Chairman of the Bank of Ceylon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kolitha Gunathilake</span>

Air Chief Marshal Kolitha Gunathilake, RWP, RSP, VSV, USP, ndc, psc, qfi is a Sri Lankan fighter pilot and a former Chief of Defence Staff and Commander of the Sri Lankan Air Force.

Air Vice Marshal Ravi Arunthavanathan, RWP, RSP, VSV, USP, psc, SLAF was the former Deputy Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Air Force and current Additional Secretary, Ministry of Defence.

Air Chief Marshal Gagan Bulathsinghala RWP, RSP, VSV, USP, MPhil, MSc in Mgt, FIM(SL) National Defence College, India, psc is a retired air officer and a former commander of the Sri Lanka Air Force. He has also held the position of Chief of the Air Staff and after his retirement on 12 September 2016, was appointed the Sri Lankan Ambassador to Afghanistan, a position he holds currently.

General Lionel Piyananda Balagalle RWP, RSP, VSV, USP, VSP was a senior Sri Lankan army officer. He served as Commander of the Sri Lanka Army and Chief of the Defence Staff.

General Gerard Hector "Gerry" de Silva, RWP, VSV, USP was a senior officer of the Sri Lanka Army. 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.

General Chandrika Srilal Weerasooriya, RWP, RSP, VSV, USP was a senior Sri Lankan army officer. He was the 15th Commander of the Sri Lankan Army and a former Sri Lankan High Commissioner to Pakistan.

Air Chief Marshal Dick Cuthbert Perera VSV was the 6th Commander of the Sri Lankan Air Force.

Air Chief Marshal Andibuduge Walter Fernando, VSV, ndc, psc was a senior Sri Lanka Air Force officer, who served as the 7th Commander of the Sri Lankan Air Force and thereafter Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Defence.

Air Chief Marshal Oliver Matthew Ranasinghe, RWP, VSV, USP, ndc, psc was the 9th Commander of the Sri Lankan Air Force.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crishantha de Silva</span> Sri Lanka Armys senior officer

General Akurathiya Withanage Jagath Crishanthe de Silva, RWP, USP is a former senior Sri Lanka Army officer and military engineer. He had served as the Commander of the Sri Lanka Army, as the Chief of Defence Staff and as the Sri Lankan High Commissioner to the Bangladesh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sumangala Dias</span> Sri Lankan aviator

Air Chief Marshal Dambure Liyanage Sumangala Dias, RWP, RSP, VSV, USP is a senior Sri Lankan Air Force Officer who served as Commander of the Air Force from 2019 to 2020. He retired from his position as the Commander of the Sri Lanka Air Force on 2 November 2020 and was replaced by Air Marshal Sudarshana Pathirana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kapila Jayampathy</span>

Air Chief Marshal Kapila Veedhiya Bandara Jayampathy WWV, RWP, RSP MSc, MSc is the 16th Commander of the Sri Lanka Air Force. After his retirement he is now appointed as Sri Lanka's High Commissioner to Malaysia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Piyal De Silva</span> Sri Lankan naval officer

Admiral Piyal De Silva, WWV & Bar, RWP, RSP, VSV, USP is a former senior Sri Lankan naval officer. He was the Commander of the Sri Lankan Navy from 2019 to 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sudarshana Pathirana</span> Sri Lankan aviator and current Commander of the Sri Lanka Air Force

Air Marshal Sudarshana Karagoda Pathirana psc, is a senior Sri Lankan Air Force Officer. He is the current Commander of the Sri Lanka Air Force. Born on 30 December 1965, Air Marshal Sudarshana Pathirana is an alumnus of Dharmaraja College, Kandy.

References

  1. ↑ "Air Chief Marshal J Weerakkody RWP, VSV, USP, ndc, psc, qfi". Sri Lanka Air Force. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
Military offices
Preceded by Commander of the Sri Lankan Air Force
1999–2002		Succeeded by


This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.