Kanchana Banagoda

• University of Wollongong
• Open University of Sri Lanka
• Defence Services Command and Staff College
• Britannia Royal Naval College
• Naval and Maritime Academy
• S. Thomas' College, Bandarawela

Vice Admiral Kanchana Banagoda RSP USP
Banagoda in 2025
26th Commander of the Navy
Incumbent
Assumed office 31 December 2024 (2024-12-31)
Military service
Allegiance	Sri Lanka
Branch/service	Sri Lanka Navy
Years of service	1989–present
Rank	Vice Admiral
Commands	Director Naval Training Commander Southeastern Naval Area (SENA) Commander North Central Naval Area (NCNA) Commander Northern Naval Area (NNA)
Battles/wars	Sri Lankan Civil War
Awards	Rana Sura Padakkama Uttama Seva Padakkama

Vice Admiral Kanchana Banagoda, RSP, USP, is a senior Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) officer, currently serving as the 26th Commander of the Navy. ^{[1] [2]}

He was appointed Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Navy on 16 August 2024 and served in that role until his appointment as Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy on 31 December 2024. ^{[1] [3] [4]}

Naval career

Banagoda is an alumnus of Bandarawela Central College and S. Thomas' College, Bandarawela. ^[1] He joined the Sri Lanka Navy on 15 September 1989 as an officer cadet in the 19th intake of the executive branch. After completing basic training at the Naval and Maritime Academy in Trincomalee, he attended Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth, United Kingdom and was commissioned in 1991 as a Sub-lieutenant. ^{[1] [3]}

He completed the 'Sub Lieutenant Technical Course' at the Naval and Maritime Academy in 1994 and the Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) course at INS Venduruthy, Kochi, India, in 2000. ^{[1] [3]} He also completed a staff course at the Defence Services Command and Staff College (DSCSC) in Dhaka, Bangladesh. ^[5]

References

1. "Vice Admiral Kanchana Banagoda assumes command as 26th Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy". news.navy.lk. 31 December 2024. Archived from the original on 13 February 2025. Retrieved 13 February 2025.
2. "New Navy Commander assumes duties". Times Online. 31 December 2024. Archived from the original on 13 February 2025. Retrieved 13 February 2025.
3. "Rear Admiral Kanchana Banagoda appointed as Chief of Staff of Sri Lanka Navy". news.navy.lk. 27 August 2024. Archived from the original on 19 November 2024. Retrieved 13 February 2025.
4. "Rear Admiral Kanchana Banagoda appointed Chief of Staff of SL Navy". Newswire. 27 August 2024. Archived from the original on 15 September 2024. Retrieved 13 February 2025.
5. "Vice Admiral Kanchana Banagoda assumes command as 26th Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy". news.lk. 31 December 2024. Archived from the original on 2 February 2025. Retrieved 13 February 2025.