Paavo Elwin Paul Kamanya | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1960's Namibia |
| Allegiance |  Namibia |
| Service/ | Namibian Air Force |
| Years of service | 1980 – present (44 years, 1 month) |
| Rank |  Air Commodore |
| Commands held |
|
| Battles/wars | Namibian War of Independence Second Congo War |
| Awards |
|
Air Commodore Paavo Elwin-Paul Kamanya is a Namibian military officer who is serving as Defence Attache to Sri Lanka. He previously served as deputy Namibian Air Force commander. [2]
Kamanya is a veteran of the national liberation movement under SWAPO. He joined the Namibian Defence Force (NDF) and is a pioneer of the NDF Air Wing. During Namibia's deployment to the Democratic Republic of the Congo he also participated in the Second Congo War, flying resupply missions, including resupply to besieged Namibian and Zimbabwean troops at Ikela. During one of the flights a technician was mortally wounded. Instead of turning back he proceeded with the flight to Ikela. For his actions president Sam Nujoma awarded him the Most Distinguished Order of Namibia. [3]
He was appointed as the VR1 Squadron commanding officer, later he served as commanding officer stationed at Grootfontein Air Force Base. In the 2010s he was promoted to colonel and made deputy Air Force commander. [4] [1] In January 2016 he was posted to India as Defence Attache and was replaced by Air Commodore Teofilus Shaende as deputy Air Force Commander. Later he was transferred to Sri Lanka as Defence Attache. [5] [6]
DRC Campaign Medal [7] DRC Campaign Medal [8] 
NDF Commendation Medal [9] 
Twenty Years Service Medal [10] 
The Namibian Defence Force (NDF) comprises the national military forces of Namibia. It was created when the country, then known as South West Africa, gained independence from apartheid South Africa in 1990. Chapter 15 of the Constitution of Namibia establishes the NDF and defines its role and purpose as, " ... to defend the territory and national interests of Namibia".
The following tables present the ranks and insignia of the Sri Lanka Navy. These ranks are similar to Royal Naval officer ranks and the ratings ranks. Sri Lanka does have an Admiral rank, but it is usually only awarded to the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) or as an honorary rank; Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda was the only Sri Lankan naval officer to hold a full admiral rank while in active service.
The Namibian Air Force is the aerial warfare branch of the Namibian Defence Force. It was commissioned on 13 March 2005 at Grootfontein Air Force Base. Following the independence of Namibia from South Africa in 1990, the Air Defence Wing of the Namibian Defence Force was established on 23 July 1994. The Air Force headquarters is located at Karibib Air Force Base. The policy, mission statements and concept of operations envisage the development of an Air Force to operate in support of the Army and the Navy.
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Admiral of the Fleet Wasantha Kumar Jayadeva Karannagoda, RSP, VSV, USP, MRIN, MNI is a Sri Lankan naval officer. He served as the Commander of the Sri Lankan Navy during the last phase of the Sri Lankan Civil War and Governor of North Western Province, Sri Lanka from 2021 to 2023.
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Brigadier General Karel Christopher Ndjoba was a Namibian military officer whose last appointment was as Defence Attaché to Germany. His father Cornelius Tuhafeni Ndjoba was chief minister of Ovamboland.
Air Vice Marshal Teofilus Shaende is a Namibian military officer who is serving as the commander of the Namibian Air Force since 2020.
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