Kapila Jayampathy | |
---|---|
Allegiance | Sri Lanka |
Service/ | Sri Lanka Air Force |
Years of service | 5 March 1982 - present |
Rank | Air Chief Marshal |
Unit | No. 4 Squadron SLAF |
Commands held | Commander of the Air Force Director of Operations at Air Force Headquarters |
Battles/wars | Sri Lankan Civil War |
Awards | Weera Wickrama Vibhushanaya Rana Wickrama Padakkama Rana Sura Padakkama |
Air Chief Marshal Kapila Veedhiya Bandara Jayampathy WWV, RWP, RSP MSc (Intl Rel), MSc (Def & Strat) is the 16th Commander of the Sri Lanka Air Force. [1] [2] [3] [4] After his retirement he is now appointed as Sri Lanka's High Commissioner to Malaysia. [5]
Kapila received his education at Nalanda College Colombo [6] [7] and is a graduate of PLA National Defense University in Defence Studies. He is the first SLAF officer to be nominated and appointed to the National Defense University of China, where he graduated with distinction and a fellowship. [8]
He was presented with Nalanda Keerthi Sri award by Nalanda College in 2016. [9]
Kapila joined Sri Lanka Air Force on 5 March 1982 as an Officer cadet and was commissioned as a Pilot officer in General Duties branch of No. 4 Squadron SLAF in 1985.[ citation needed ] Kapila is a Qualified Helicopter Instructor (QHI) with an exceptional A-2 Instructor grading to his credit and a VVIP Pilot.[ citation needed ]
He was the Commanding Officer of the No. 7 Squadron SLAF at Sri Lanka Air Force Base Hingurakgoda.[ citation needed ] Later in the year 2000 Kapila was appointed as the Commanding Officer of the No. 6 Squadron SLAF and he was flying the Mil Mi-17 helicopters.[ citation needed ]
In January 2005, he was appointed as the Defense Advisor to the Sri Lankan High Commission in Islamabad, Pakistan.[ citation needed ]
In December 2009, he took over duties as the Base Commander Sri Lanka Air Force Base China Bay. Latyer when SLAF Base China Bay was upgraded and renamed as the Air Force Academy, he was re-designated as the Commandant of the Air Force Academy.[ citation needed ]
He has followed Bell Helicopter Transition Courses at Bell Textron, Texas, USA- 1986, Joint Air Warfare Course at IAF in India -1992, Junior Command and Staff Course at PAF in Pakistan -1992, Air Crew Instructors Course at RAF, Cranwell, UK -1996, Defense Resource Management Course, Bangkok, Thailand- 1997, Air Doctrine symposium, Guam, USA- 1998, Cobra Gold Combined Exercise, Bangkok, Thailand- 2001, Defense Resource Management Course – Naval Post Graduate School, Monterey, California USA - 2004, National Defense Course, China in 2008/2009, during his service career.[ citation needed ]
The Bandaranaike International Airport attack was a suicide raid Black Tigers of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on 24 July 2001 on the Sri Lanka Air Force base SLAF Katunayake and the adjoining Bandaranaike International Airport in Katunayake, Sri Lanka. The attack was one of the boldest the LTTE mounted during its war with the Sri Lankan government, and had a profound impact on the country's military, economy, and airline industry.
The Sri Lanka Air Force is the air arm and the youngest of the Sri Lanka Armed Forces. It was founded in 1951 as the Royal Ceylon Air Force (RCyAF) with the assistance of the Royal Air Force (RAF). The SLAF played a major role throughout the Sri Lankan Civil War. The SLAF operates more than 160 aircraft and has a projected trained strength of 30,000 airmen and 2000 officers, who are from both regular and reserve service.
Marshal of the Air Force W. D. M. J. Roshan Goonetileke, RWP and bar, VSV, USP is a senior officer of the Sri Lanka Air Force. The current Governor of the Western Province.
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 Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Israel.
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Air Chief Marshal Deshamanya Pathman Hariprasadha Mendis, FBIM was a Sri Lankan aviator. He was the fourth Commander of the Royal Ceylon Air Force from 1971 to 1976.
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.
No. 6 Helicopter Squadron is a squadron of the Sri Lanka Air Force. It currently operates Mil Mi-17s from SLAF Anuradhapura for troop transport.
No. 7 Helicopter Squadron is a squadron of the Sri Lanka Air Force. It currently operates Bell 212s, Bell 206s from SLAF Hingurakgoda for troop transport, MEDEVAC and training helicopter pilots.
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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.
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Air Chief Marshal Dambure Liyanage Sumangala Dias, RWP, RSP, VSV, USP is a retired Sri Lanka Air Force officer and pilot who served as Commander of the Air Force from 29 May 2019 to 2 November 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.
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