Sri Lankan Army
Encyclopedia
The Sri Lanka Army is the oldest and largest of the Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...

 Armed Forces
Sri Lanka Armed Forces
The Sri Lanka Armed Forces is the overall unified military of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka encompassing the Sri Lanka Army, the Sri Lanka Navy, the Sri Lanka Air Force which comes under preview of the Ministry of Defence...

 and is responsible for land-based military
Army
An army An army An army (from Latin arma "arms, weapons" via Old French armée, "armed" (feminine), in the broadest sense, is the land-based military of a nation or state. It may also include other branches of the military such as the air force via means of aviation corps...

 and humanitarian operations. Established as the Ceylon Army in 1949, it was renamed when Sri Lanka became a republic
Republic
A republic is a form of government in which the people, or some significant portion of them, have supreme control over the government and where offices of state are elected or chosen by elected people. In modern times, a common simplified definition of a republic is a government where the head of...

 in 1972. As of the year 2010, the Army has believed to have approximately 200,000 regular personnel, approximately between 20,000-40,000 reserve personnel and 18,000 National Guardsmen
Sri Lanka National Guard
The Sri Lanka National Guard is the largest regiment in the Sri Lanka Army. It is a Volunteer Regiment made up of 32 battalions coming under the Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force.-History:The Sri Lanka National Guard was founded by Lt. Col. D.W...

 and comprises 13 operational divisions
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...

, one air-mobile brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...

, one commando
Commando
In English, the term commando means a specific kind of individual soldier or military unit. In contemporary usage, commando usually means elite light infantry and/or special operations forces units, specializing in amphibious landings, parachuting, rappelling and similar techniques, to conduct and...

 brigade, one special forces
Special forces
Special forces, or special operations forces are terms used to describe elite military tactical teams trained to perform high-risk dangerous missions that conventional units cannot perform...

 brigade, one independent armored brigade, three mechanized infantry
Mechanized infantry
Mechanized infantry are infantry equipped with armored personnel carriers , or infantry fighting vehicles for transport and combat ....

 brigades and over 40 infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...

 brigades. From the 1980s to 2009 the army was engaged in the Sri Lankan civil war
Sri Lankan civil war
The Sri Lankan Civil War was a conflict fought on the island of Sri Lanka. Beginning on July 23, 1983, there was an on-and-off insurgency against the government by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam , a separatist militant organization which fought to create an independent Tamil state named Tamil...

.

The professional head of the Sri Lanka Army is the Commander of the Army
Commander of the Army (Sri Lanka)
Commander of the Army is the title of the professional head of the Sri Lanka Army. The current Commander of the Army is Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasuriya...

, currently Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....

 Jagath Jayasuriya
Jagath Jayasuriya
Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasuriya, VSV, USP, ndc, psc, SLAC is a Sri Lankan military officer and is the current Commander of the Sri Lankan Army...

. The Commander-in-Chief
Commander-in-Chief
A commander-in-chief is the commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces. In the latter case, the force element may be defined as those forces within a particular region or those forces which are associated by function. As a practical term it refers to the military...

 of the Sri Lankan Military is the President of the country
President of Sri Lanka
The President of Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is the elected head of state and the head of government. The President is a dominant political figure in Sri Lanka. The office was created in 1978 but has grown so powerful there have been calls to restrict or even eliminate its power...

, who heads the National Security Council through the Ministry of Defense
Ministry of Defence (Sri Lanka)
The Ministry of Defence, Public Security, Law & Order is the Sri Lankan government ministry responsible for implementation of government defence policy and the headquarters of the Sri Lankan Armed Forces....

, which is the highest level of military command charged with formulating, executing defence policy and procurements for the armed forces. However operations of the Sri Lanka Army are coordinated by the Joint Operations Command, with other two armed forces.

The Sri Lankan Army has also provided special training to the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...

 on their request as well as many other countries in military education regarding civilian rescue, jungle combat, and guerilla warfare etc.

Ancient and pre-colonial times

The first military engagements in Sri Lankan
History of Sri Lanka
The History of Sri Lanka begins around 30,000 years ago when the island was first inhabited. Chronicles, including the Mahawansa, the Dipavamsa, the Culavamsa and the Rajaveliya, record events from the beginnings of the Sinhalese monarchy in the 6th century BC; through the arrival of European...

 history were marked by the advent of King Vijaya, a Bengal
Bengal
Bengal is a historical and geographical region in the northeast region of the Indian Subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. Today, it is mainly divided between the sovereign land of People's Republic of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal, although some regions of the previous...

 prince who landed along with his followers on the beaches of northwestern Sri Lanka around 543 BC. Prince Vijaya and his followers occupied the lands of the native Veddah people. Repeated incursions by South Indians, particularly the Cholas, into Sri Lankan territory occurred throughout the next few centuries and led to the engagement of the rival forces in battle. In one famous encounter, Sinhalese King Dutugemunu (200 BC
200 BC
Year 200 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Maximus and Cotta...

) raised an army of eleven thousand inhabitants in his battle against the Chola invader King Elara
Elara (King)
Elara , also known as Ellalan and Élaezha Chola , was a Chola king from the Chola Kingdom, in present day South India, who ruled Sri Lanka from 205 BC to 161 BC from the ancient capital of Anuradhapura. Often referred to as 'the Just King'. The Tamil name Elalan means, 'the one who rules the Ellai...

, whom he eventually defeated. King Dutugemunu's organizational skills, bravery and chivalry are famous and his battles have gone down in history as outstanding offensive operations.

Other Sri Lankan rulers whose military achievements stand out include King Gajabâhu
Gajabahu I
Gajabahu I , also known as Gajabahuka Gamani was a Sinhalese king of Rajarata in Sri Lanka. He is renowned for his religious benefactions, extensive involvement in south Indian politics, and for possibly introducing the cult of the goddess Pattini to Sri Lanka...

 (113 AD), who sailed to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

 to bring back his captured soldiers, and King Dhatusena (433 AD
433
Year 433 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Theodosius and Maximus...

) who is credited with repulsing numerous Indian invasions and for organizing a naval build-up to deter seaborne attacks. He also had the foresight to cover his defenses with artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...

. Vijayabâhu I (1001 AD) was another warrior king who dislodged Indian invaders and united the country. Parakramabahu the Great (1153 AD) was an outstanding monarch of the Polonnaruwa
Polonnaruwa
The second most ancient of Sri Lanka's kingdoms, was first declared the capital city by King Vijayabahu I, who defeated the Chola invaders in 1070 AD to reunite the country once more under a local leader.-History:While Vijayabahu's victory and shifting of Kingdoms to the more strategic Polonnaruwa...

 period of Sri Lankan history, and his accomplishments as a military leader and a great administrator are noteworthy. His reign included a military expedition to Burma (Myanmar) in retaliation for indignities inflicted on his envoys and Burmese interference in the elephant trade. This marked the first overseas expedition in Sri Lankan military history. It is also reported that Parakramabahu's fame was such that his assistance was sought by South Indian rulers who were involved in internecine struggles. Another strong ruler in the pre-colonial era was Parâkramabâhu VI, who defeated Indian invaders, united the island and ruled it from capital Sri Jayawardhanapura, Kotte
Kotte
Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte , also known as Sri Jayawardenapura or Kotte කෝට්ටේ, is the administrative capital of Sri Lanka. It is located beyond the eastern suburbs of the commercial capital Colombo and is often called New Capital Territory...

.
Although the known epigraphical
Epigraph (literature)
In literature, an epigraph is a phrase, quotation, or poem that is set at the beginning of a document or component. The epigraph may serve as a preface, as a summary, as a counter-example, or to link the work to a wider literary canon, either to invite comparison or to enlist a conventional...

 records do not indicate that the Sri Lankan rulers had a full-time standing army
Standing army
A standing army is a professional permanent army. It is composed of full-time career soldiers and is not disbanded during times of peace. It differs from army reserves, who are activated only during wars or natural disasters...

 at their disposal, there is evidence supported by legend, designation, name, place and tradition that prove there were 'stand-by' equestrian
Equestrianism
Equestrianism more often known as riding, horseback riding or horse riding refers to the skill of riding, driving, or vaulting with horses...

, elephant
Elephant
Elephants are large land mammals in two extant genera of the family Elephantidae: Elephas and Loxodonta, with the third genus Mammuthus extinct...

, and infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...

 divisions to ensure royal authority at all times. Militias were raised as the necessity arose, and the soldiers returned to their pursuits, mainly for farming, after their spell of military duty.

Colonial era

Parts of Sri Lanka came under the control of three colonial Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

an powers, namely the Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...

 in the 16th century, the Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

 in the 17th century and the British
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...

 in the 18th century. Yet, until the entire island was ceded to the British in 1815, regional kingdoms maintained most of their independent defense forces and were able to successfully repulse repeated thrusts by the European armies. However the British, unlike their counterparts, were not primarily restricted to maritime power, and thus had the capability to bring the entire island under their control and to integrate locals into the British defense forces.

Portuguese and Dutch rule (1505-1796 AD)

In the beginning of the 16th century, modern Europe first came in contact with Sri Lanka, which was then referred to as Ceylon. In 1505 a Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...

 fleet, while operating in the Indian seas against Arab traders, was blown off course and landed at Galle
Galle
Galle is a city situated on the southwestern tip of Sri Lanka, 119 km from Colombo. Galle is the capital city of Southern Province of Sri Lanka and it lies in Galle District....

, on the southern coast of the island. In 1517 the Portuguese re-appeared, and with the consent of the Sinhalese King established a trading post in Colombo
Colombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...

. Having initiated contact with Sri Lanka as traders, the Portuguese soon made themselves political masters of the western seaboard. Numerous forts were soon established, and features of European civilization were introduced.

The Portuguese are credited with the introduction of European-style fortresses to Sri Lanka during this era. Although some locals already possessed military training and fighting experience, there is no evidence that the Portuguese employed local inhabitants into their own forces. Thus the Portuguese were forced to restrict their presence in the island due to their small numbers and their efforts were more focussed toward projecting maritime power.

In 1602 Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

 explorers first landed in Sri Lanka, which was then under Portuguese control. By 1658 they had completely ousted the Portuguese from the coastal regions of the island. Much like the Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...

, they did not employ locals in their military, and preferred to live in isolation, pursuing their interests in trade and commerce. Like the Portuguese, they defended their forts with their own forces, but unlike the Portuguese, Dutch forces employed Swiss
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....

 and Malay
Malay race
The concept of a Malay race was proposed by the German scientist Johann Friedrich Blumenbach , and classified as the brown race. Since Blumenbach, many anthropologists have rejected his theory of five races, citing the enormous complexity of classifying races...

 mercenaries. The Dutch Forts in Jaffna
Jaffna
Jaffna is the capital city of the Northern Province, Sri Lanka. It is the administrative headquarters of the Jaffna district located on a peninsula of the same name. Jaffna is approximately six miles away from Kandarodai which served as a famous emporium in the Jaffna peninsula from classical...

, Galle
Galle
Galle is a city situated on the southwestern tip of Sri Lanka, 119 km from Colombo. Galle is the capital city of Southern Province of Sri Lanka and it lies in Galle District....

, Matara
Matara, Sri Lanka
Matara is a city on the southern coast of Sri Lanka, 160 km from Colombo. It is one of the largest cities in Sri Lanka. It was deeply affected by the Asian tsunami in December 2004.-History:...

, Batticaloa
Batticaloa
Batticaloa is a city in the Eastern province of Sri Lanka. It is the seat of the Eastern University of Sri Lanka. It is on the east coast, south by south east of Trincomalee, and is situated on an island.-Etymology:...

 and Trincomalee
Trincomalee
Trincomalee is a port city in Eastern Province, Sri Lanka and lies on the east coast of the island, about 113 miles south of Jaffna. It has a population of approximately 100,000 . The city is built on a peninsula, which divides the inner and outer harbours. Overlooking the Kottiyar Bay,...

 were sturdily built and are considered a tribute to their military engineering skills. Also, like the Portuguese, the Dutch focussed on maritime power and although they had the capability to develop and use local forces, they chose to isolate themselves from the local population.

British rule (1798-1948 AD)

The British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...

 then ousted the Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

 from the coastal areas of the country, and sought to conquer the independent Kandyan Kingdom
Kingdom of Kandy
Kingdom of Kandy was an important independent monarchy of Sri Lanka, located in the central and eastern portion of the island. It was founded in late 15th century and endured until the early 19th century...

. In the face of repeated British assaults, the Kandyans were forced into a degree of guerrilla warfare
Guerrilla warfare
Guerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare and refers to conflicts in which a small group of combatants including, but not limited to, armed civilians use military tactics, such as ambushes, sabotage, raids, the element of surprise, and extraordinary mobility to harass a larger and...

 and fared well against their superior British adversaries.

Initially the British stationed their forces, which included naval vessels, artillery troops and infantry, to defend of the island nation from other foreign powers, using the natural harbor of Trincomalee as their headquarters in Sri Lanka. In 1796, the Swiss and Malay mercenaries who were previously in the service of the Dutch were transferred to the British East India Company
British East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...

. While the Swiss De Meuron's Regiment
Regiment de Meuron
The Regiment de Meuron was a regiment of infantry originally raised in Switzerland in 1781. The regiment was named for its commander, Colonel Charles-Daniel de Meuron, who was born in Neuchâtel in 1738....

 was eventually disbanded in Canada in 1822, the Malays, who initially formed a Malay Corps, were converted into the 1st Ceylon Regiment in 1802 and placed under a British commanding officer. In the same year, the British became the first foreign power to raise a Sinhalese
Sinhalese people
The Sinhalese are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group,forming the majority of Sri Lanka,constituting 74% of the Sri Lankan population.They number approximately 15 million worldwide.The Sinhalese identity is based on language, heritage and religion. The Sinhalese speak Sinhala, an Indo-Aryan language and the...

 unit, which was named the 2nd Ceylon Regiment, also known as the Sepoy Corps
Sepoy
A sepoy was formerly the designation given to an Indian soldier in the service of a European power. In the modern Indian Army, Pakistan Army and Bangladesh Army it remains in use for the rank of private soldier.-Etymology and Historical usage:...

.

In 1803 the 3rd Ceylon Regiment was created with Moluccans
Maluku Islands
The Maluku Islands are an archipelago that is part of Indonesia, and part of the larger Maritime Southeast Asia region. Tectonically they are located on the Halmahera Plate within the Molucca Sea Collision Zone...

 and recruits from Penang
Penang
Penang is a state in Malaysia and the name of its constituent island, located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia by the Strait of Malacca. It is bordered by Kedah in the north and east, and Perak in the south. Penang is the second smallest Malaysian state in area after Perlis, and the...

. All these regiments fought alongside British troops in the Kandyan wars which began in 1803. Throughout the following years, more Sinhalese
Sinhalese people
The Sinhalese are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group,forming the majority of Sri Lanka,constituting 74% of the Sri Lankan population.They number approximately 15 million worldwide.The Sinhalese identity is based on language, heritage and religion. The Sinhalese speak Sinhala, an Indo-Aryan language and the...

 and Malays were recruited to these regiments, and in 1814 the 4th Regiment was raised, which was composed entirely of African troops. It was later renamed as the Ceylon Rifle Regiment
Ceylon Rifle Regiment
Ceylon Rifle Regiment was a regular native regiment formed by the British in Ceylon. Its history goes back to 1795 when five independent companies of Malays where transferred from Dutch to HEIC service...

. Eventually, the Kandyan Kingdom was ceded to the British in 1815, and with that they gained control over the whole island. Resistance to British occupation cropped up almost instantly. During the first half-century of occupation, the British faced a number of uprisings, and were forced to maintain a sizable army in order to guarantee their control over the island. After the Matale Rebellion
Matale Rebellion
The Matale Rebellion, also known as the Rebellion of 1848 took place in Ceylon against the British colonial government under Governor Lord Torrington, 7th Viscount Torrington. It marked a transition from the classic feudal form of anti-colonial revolt to modern independence struggles...

 led by Puran Appu
Puran Appu
Weerahennadige Francisco Fernando alias Puran Appu is one of the notable personalities in Sri Lanka's history. He was born on November 1812 in the coastal town of Moratuwa. He left Moratuwa at the age of 13 and stayed in Ratnapura with his uncle, who was the first Sinhalese proctor, and moved to...

 in 1848, in which a number of Sinhalese recruits defected to the side of the rebels, the recruitment of Sinhalese to the British forces was temporarily halted.

Ceylon Light Infantry Volunteers
The second phase in the employment of non-British personnel commenced in 1861 after the enactment of an ordinance designed to authorize the creation of a Volunteer Corps in the island. It was designated the Ceylon Light Infantry Volunteers (CLIV). This move compensated for the disbandment of the Ceylon Rifle Regiment in 1874. The Ceylon Light Infantry Volunteers was originally administered as a single unit. However, over the years various sections of the volunteers grew large enough to become independent from their parent unit. The different units that emerged from the Volunteer Force were the
  • Ceylon Artillery Volunteers
  • Ceylon Mounted Infantry (CMI)
  • Ceylon Volunteer Medical Corps
  • Cadet Battalion Ceylon Light Infantry
  • Ceylon Engineers
  • Ceylon Supply & Transport Corps
  • Ceylon Planters Rifle Corps
    Ceylon Planters Rifle Corps
    Ceylon Planters Rifle Corps was a regiment attached to the Ceylon Defence Force which was the predecessor to the Sri Lanka Army prior to 1949 when the Ceylon Army was formed...

     (CPRC).


Ceylon Defence Force

In 1910 the name of the military was formally changed to the Ceylon Defence Force (CDF). It continued to grow throughout the early period of the 20th century. The CDF saw active service when a contingent of the Ceylon Mounted Infantry (CMI) in 1900, and a contingent of the Ceylon Planters Rifle Corps (CPRC) in 1902, took part in the Second Boer War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...

 in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

. Their services were recognized by the presentation in 1902 of a color
Colours, standards and guidons
In military organizations, the practice of carrying colours, standards or Guidons, both to act as a rallying point for troops and to mark the location of the commander, is thought to have originated in Ancient Egypt some 5,000 years ago...

 to the CMI, and a presentation in 1904 of a banner
Banner
A banner is a flag or other piece of cloth bearing a symbol, logo, slogan or other message. Banner-making is an ancient craft.The word derives from late Latin bandum, a cloth out of which a flag is made...

 to the CPRC. In 1922, the CDF was honored by the presentation of the King's and Regimental colors to the Ceylon Light Infantry (CLI).

During the First World War, many volunteers from the Defence Force traveled to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

 and joined the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...

, and many of them were killed in action. One of them mentioned by Sir
Sir
Sir is an honorific used as a title , or as a courtesy title to address a man without using his given or family name in many English speaking cultures...

 Arthur Conan Doyle
Arthur Conan Doyle
Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle DL was a Scottish physician and writer, most noted for his stories about the detective Sherlock Holmes, generally considered a milestone in the field of crime fiction, and for the adventures of Professor Challenger...

 was Private
Private (rank)
A Private is a soldier of the lowest military rank .In modern military parlance, 'Private' is shortened to 'Pte' in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries and to 'Pvt.' in the United States.Notably both Sir Fitzroy MacLean and Enoch Powell are examples of, rare, rapid career...

 Jacotine of the CLI, who was the last man left alive in his unit at the Battle of Lys, and who continued to fight for 20 minutes before he was killed.

In 1939, the CDF was mobilized and an enormous expansion took place which required the raising of new units such as the Ceylon Signals Corps
Sri Lanka Signals Corps
The Sri Lanka Signals Corps a combat support corps of the Sri Lanka Army, responsible for providing military communications, information technology and electronic warfare support. The corps is made up of nine regular regiments and one volunteer regiment...

, the Auxiliary Territorial Service (Ceylon)
Auxiliary Territorial Service
The Auxiliary Territorial Service was the women's branch of the British Army during the Second World War...

 and also the Colombo Town Guard
Colombo Town Guard
Colombo Town Guard was regiment attached to the Ceylon Defence Force which was the predecessor to the Sri Lanka Army prior to 1949 when the Ceylon Army was formed. It was a volunteer regiment was based in Colombo.-History:...

, which had been previously disbanded, but was later re-formed to meet military requirements. During the Second World War, Britain assumed direct control over the Armed Forces of Ceylon.

Post-independence

At the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, CDF which had increased in size during the war began demobilization.In 1948 Sri Lanka gained independence from Britain, becoming a Dominion within the commonwealth
Commonwealth
Commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has sometimes been synonymous with "republic."More recently it has been used for fraternal associations of some sovereign nations...

 and a year earlier Ceylon entered into the bi-lateral Anglo-Ceylonese Defence Agreement of 1947. This followed by the Army Act No. 17 of 1949 which was passed by Parliament
Parliament of Sri Lanka
The Parliament of Sri Lanka is the 225-member unicameral legislature of Sri Lanka. The members of Parliament are elected by proportional representation for six-year terms, with universal suffrage. Parliament reserves the power to make all laws...

 on April 11, 1949 and formalized in Gazette Extraordinary No. 10028 of October 10, 1949 marked the creation of the Ceylon Army, consisting of a regular and a volunteer force, the later being the successor of the disbanded CDF. Therefor October 10, 1949 is considered the Ceylon Army was raised, and October 10 is celebrated annually as Army day. The Defence Agreement of 1947 provided the assurance that British would come to the aid of Ceylon in the event it was attacked by a foreign power and provided British military advises to build the country's military. Brigadier
Brigadier
Brigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....

 James Sinclair, Earl of Caithness
Earl of Caithness
Earl of Caithness is a title that has been created several times in the Peerage of Scotland, and has a very complex history. Its first grant, in the modern sense as to have been counted in strict lists of peerages, is now generally held to have taken place in favor of Maol Íosa V, Earl of...

 was appointed as general officer commanding
General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding is the usual title given in the armies of Commonwealth nations to a general officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, a general might be the GOC II Corps or GOC 7th Armoured Division...

 Ceylon Army, as such becoming the first commander of the Ceylon Army.

The initial requirement was to raise an artillery regiment, an engineer squadron, an infantry battalion, a medical unit, and a service corps company. For much of the 1950s the army was preoccupied with the task of building itself and training existing and new personal. To this aim the British Army Training Team (BATT) advisory group carried out training for ex-members of the CDF within the Ceylon Army, senior officers were sent to the British Army Staff College, Camberley
Staff College, Camberley
Staff College, Camberley, Surrey, was a staff college for the British Army from 1802 to 1997, with periods of closure during major wars. In 1997 it was merged into the new Joint Services Command and Staff College.-Origins:...

 and some attached to units of the British Army of the Rhine
British Army of the Rhine
There have been two formations named British Army of the Rhine . Both were originally occupation forces in Germany, one after the First World War, and the other after the Second World War.-1919–1929:...

 to gain field experience. New officers were sent for training at Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst which continued until the 1960s and both officers and other ranks were sent to specialist training courses in Britain, India, Pakistan and Malaya. There were no formations and all units were structured to directly function under the Army Headquarters. However temporary field headquarters were to be formed at the time requirement arose.

Due to a lack of any major external threats the growth of the army was slow, and the primary duties of the army quickly moved towards internal security by the mid 50's, the same time as the first Ceylonese Commander Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...

 Anton Muttukumaru
Anton Muttukumaru
Major General Anton M. Muttukumaru, OBE, ED, ADC, CLI was the first Ceylonese Army officer to serve as Commander of the Ceylon Army , a post he held from 1955 to 1959. He also served as Ceylon's High Commissioner to Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan and Ambassador to Egypt.-Early life and...

 took command of the army. The first internal security operation of the Ceylon Army began in 1952, code named Operation Monty to counter the influx of illegal South Indian immigrants brought in by smugglers on the north-western cost, in support of Royal Ceylon Navy coastal patrols and police operations. This was expanded and renamed as Task Force Anti-Illicit Immigration (TaFII) in 1963 and continued up to 1981 when it was disbanded. The Army was mobilized to help the police to restore peace under provincial emergency regulations during the 1953 hartal
Hartal 1953
Hartal 1953 was a country-wide demonstration, commonly known as a hartal, held in Ceylon on August 12, 1953. It was organized to protest of the policies and actions of the incumbent United National Party government, and resulted in the resignation of the Prime Minister Dudley Senanayake...

, the 1956 Gal Oya Valley riots and in 1958 it was deployed for the first time under emergency regulations throughout the island during the 1958 Riots
Sri Lankan riots of 1958
1958 riots in Ceylon also known as 58 riots was first island wide ethnic riots that targeted the minority Sri Lankan Tamils in Ceylon after it became an independent country from Britain in 1948. The riots lasted from May 22 until May 27, 1958 although sporadic disturbances happened even after the...

.

During the 1950s and 1960s the army was called apron to carry to essential services when the workers went on strike which were organized by the left wing parties and trade unions for various reasons, the most notable was the 1961 Colombo Port strike, during which ships threatened to bypass Colombo port and the country almost staved. To counter these common strikes several units were formed, who were employed in development work when there were no strikes.

In 1962 several volunteer officers attempted a military coup
Attempted military coup in Ceylon, 1962
The 1962 Ceylonese coup d'état attempt was a failed military coup planned in Sri Lanka . Several Christian senior military and policy officers planned to topple the democratically elected government of Prime Minister Mrs...

, which was stopped hours before it was launched. This attempted coup effect the military to a great extent, since the government mistrusted the military, it reduced the size and growth of the army, especially the volunteer force, with several units being disbanded. In May 1972, when Ceylon was proclaimed a republic and changed its name to from the Dominion of Ceylon to the Republic of Sri Lanka, all Army units were renamed accordingly.

1970–Present

After successfully defeating the insurgency led by the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna
Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna
The Janathā Vimukthi Peramuṇa is a Marxist-Leninist, Communist political party in Sri Lanka. The party was involved in two armed uprisings against the ruling governments in 1971 and 1987-89...

 (JVP) in 1971, the army was confronted with a new conflict, this time with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam was a separatist militant organization formerly based in northern Sri Lanka. Founded in May 1976 by Vellupillai Prabhakaran, it waged a violent secessionist and nationalist campaign to create an independent state in the north and east of Sri Lanka for Tamil...

 (LTTE) and other Tamil militant groups. The war escalated to the point where India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

 was asked to intervene as a peacekeeping force. This was later seen as a tactical error, as the Indian Peace Keeping Force
Indian Peace Keeping Force
Indian Peace Keeping Force was the Indian military contingent performing a peacekeeping operation in Sri Lanka between 1987 and 1990...

 united nationalist elements such as the JVP to politically support the LTTE in their call to evict the IPKF. The war with the LTTE was halted following the signing of a ceasefire agreement in 2002 with the help of international mediation. However, renewed violence broke out in December 2005 and following the collapse of peace talks, the Army has been involved in the heavy fighting that has resumed in the north and east of the country.

Since 1980 the army has undertaken many operations against the LTTE rebels. The major operations conducted by the army eventually led to the recapture of Jaffna
Jaffna
Jaffna is the capital city of the Northern Province, Sri Lanka. It is the administrative headquarters of the Jaffna district located on a peninsula of the same name. Jaffna is approximately six miles away from Kandarodai which served as a famous emporium in the Jaffna peninsula from classical...

 and other rebel strongholds. In 19 May 2009 Sri Lankan army declare the victory of war as they found the dead body of LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran
Velupillai Prabhakaran
Thiruvenkadam Velupillai Prabhakaran was the founder and leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam , a militant organization that sought to create an independent Tamil state in the north and east of Sri Lanka...

. This marked the end of the war, with the LTTE ceasing to exist in Sri Lanka as a result of prolonged military offensives conducted by Sri Lanka army..

Major combat operations

  • First JVP Insurrection (1971–1972)
  • Eelam War I
    Eelam War I
    Eelam War I is the name given to the initial phase of the armed conflict between the government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE. Although tensions between the government and Tamil militant groups had been brewing since the 1970s, full scale war did not break out until an attack by the LTTE on a Sri Lanka...

     (1976–1987)
    • Operation Liberation
      Vadamarachchi Operation
      The Operation Liberation or Vadamarachchi Operation, the military offensive carried out by the Sri Lankan military during May to June 1987, to re-gain the territory of Vadamarachchi in Jaffna peninsula from the LTTE control...

  • Second JVP Insurrection (1987–1990)
  • Eelam War II
    Eelam War II
    Eelam War II is the name given to the second phase of armed conflict between Sri Lankan military and the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. The war started after the failure of peace talks between the Premadasa government and the LTTE...

     (1990–1995)
    • Operation Sea Breeze
    • Operation Thrividha Balaya
      Operation Thrividha Balaya
      Operation Thrividha Balaya was a combined military operation launched by the Sri Lankan Military in Jaffna. The Operation was carried out to break the siege of the Sri Lanka Army garrison of the old Dutch Jaffna Fort in Jaffna. The operation was successfully carried out and the garrison withdrawn....

    • Operation Balavegaya
      Operation Balavegaya
      Operation Balavegaya was a combined military operation launched by the Sri Lankan Military in Jaffna. It was the largest amphibious assault launched by the Sri Lankan Military in its history. Operation Balavegaya was launched in response to siege of Elephant Pass by the LTTE terrorists...

       I, II

  • Eelam War III
    Eelam War III
    Eelam War III is the name given to the third phase of armed conflict between Sri Lankan military and the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. After the period of 100 days cease-fire the hostilities broke out on the 19th of April 1995. The LTTE - Sea Tigers planted explosives in two gun...

     (1995–2002)
    • Operation Riviresa
      Operation Riviresa
      Operation Riviresa , was a combined military operation launched by the Sri Lankan Armed Forces in Jaffna. Starting on the 17 October 1995, the primary objective of the operation was the capture of the town of Jaffna and rest of the Jaffna peninsula from the LTTE...

    • Operation Jayasikuru
    • Operation Rivibala
    • Operation Ranagosa
    • Operation Rivikirana
    • Operation Kinihira I, II, III/IV, V/VI, VII, VIII ,IX
  • Eelam War IV
    Eelam War IV
    Eelam War IV is the name given to the fourth phase of armed conflict between the Sri Lankan military and the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, which is currently proscribed as a terrorist organisation by 32 countries . Renewed hostilities began on the July 26, 2006 when Sri Lanka Air...

     (2006–2009)
    • Eastern Theater
      Eastern Theater of Eelam War IV
      The Eastern Theater of Eelam War IV, the warfare started in the Eastern province of Sri Lanka on July 21, 2006, when the LTTE cut off the water supply to the rice fields in the Mavil aru area in the eastern Trincomalee district...

      • Operations in Thoppigala
        Battle of Thoppigala
        The Battle of Thoppigala was a battle between the Sri Lanka Army and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam fought during a period of the first half of 2007 over control of the LTTE-dominated peak of Thoppigala , located 40 km northwest of Batticaloa, in eastern Sri...

    • Northern Theater
      Northern Theater of Eelam War IV
      The Northern Theater of Eelam War IV refers to the fighting that took place in the northern province of Sri Lanka between July 2006 and May 18, 2009.-Beginning of the war:...

      • Battle of the Forward Defence Lines
        Battle of the Forward Defence Lines
        The 2008–2009 SLA Northern offensive was an armed conflict in the northern Province of Sri Lanka between the military of Sri Lanka and the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam...


  • Peacekeeping

    The Sri Lanka Army has taken part in two peacekeeping
    Peacekeeping
    Peacekeeping is an activity that aims to create the conditions for lasting peace. It is distinguished from both peacebuilding and peacemaking....

     missions with United Nations
    United Nations
    The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...

     over the course of its history. First assignment was in the Congo
    Republic of the Congo (Léopoldville)
    The Republic of the Congo was an independent republic established following the independence granted to the former colony of the Belgian Congo in 1960...

     (ONUC
    United Nations Operation in the Congo
    Opération des Nations unies au Congo, abbreviated ONUC, was a United Nations peacekeeping force in Congo that was established after United Nations Security Council Resolution 143 of July 14, 1960...

    ) (1960–1963). Most recently, following the signing of a ceasefire agreement was signed between the government and the LTTE in 2002, Sri Lankan forces were invited by the United Nations to be part of the UN peacekeeping force
    United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti
    The United Nations Stabilisation Mission In Haiti , also known as MINUSTAH, an acronym of the French translation, is a United Nations peacekeeping mission in Haiti that has been in operation since 2004. The mission's military component is led by the Brazilian Army and the force commander is...

     in Haiti
    Haiti
    Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...

    . The Sri Lanka Light Infantry was selected to be part of the peacekeeping operations, and training programs on counter revolutionary warfare were conducted for the troops in Kukuleganga. Following the successful completion of the training, a battalion under the command of Col. K.A.D.A. Karunasekara left for Haiti on October 22, 2004. In the process of the peacekeeping operations, 2 soldiers were killed in a raid in Petit-Goave. After over 6 months of service, the first contingent of the peacekeeping force returned to Sri Lanka on May 17, 2005. name="lightinf"/> In December 2007, 7th rotation of the Sri Lankan contingent had been deployed with a force of 991 officers and other ranks, many of the those deployed have been awarded the United Nations Medal
    United Nations Medal
    The term United Nations Medal refers to one of several international decorations which are issued by the United Nations to the various militaries of the world for participation in joint international military and police operations such as peacekeeping, humanitarian efforts, and disaster relief...

     for their services.

    Peacekeeping Sex Scandal
    In November 2007, 114 members of the 950 member Sri Lankan Army peacekeeping mission in Haiti, were accused of sexual misconduct and abuse. 108 members, including 3 officers of the 950-member-strong Sri Lanka peacekeeping contingent is being sent back after being implicated in alleged misconduct and sexual abuse. UN spokeswoman Michele Montas said: "The United Nations and the Sri Lankan government deeply regret any sexual exploitation and abuse that has occurred." The Sri Lankan Officials claim that there is little tangible evidence on this case. After inquiry into the case the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services
    United Nations Office of Internal Oversight Services
    The United Nations Office of Internal Oversight Services is a United Nations organ whose primary purpose is to perform world-wide audit, investigation, inspection, programme monitoring, evaluation and consulting services to the United Nations Secretariat and the rest of the United Nations...

     (OIOS) has concluded ‘acts of sexual exploitation and abuse (against children) were frequent and occurred usually at night, and at virtually every location where the contingent personnel were deployed.’ The OIOS is assisting in the pending legal proceedings initiated by the Sri Lankan Government and has said charges should include rape "because it involves children under 18 years of age".

    Current deployments

    As of present, the bulk of the Sri Lankan Army is deployed for domestic defensive and combat operations, while a sizable foreign deployment is maintained.

    Domestic

    Due to the Sri Lankan Civil War
    Sri Lankan civil war
    The Sri Lankan Civil War was a conflict fought on the island of Sri Lanka. Beginning on July 23, 1983, there was an on-and-off insurgency against the government by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam , a separatist militant organization which fought to create an independent Tamil state named Tamil...

     the army has been on a constant mobilized (including reservist
    Reservist
    A reservist is a person who is a member of a military reserve force. They are otherwise civilians, and in peacetime have careers outside the military. Reservists usually go for training on an annual basis to refresh their skills. This person is usually a former active-duty member of the armed...

    ) state since the 1980s (except for a brief period from 2002–2005). The majority of the army as been deployed in the North and Eastern provinces of the country, which includes 14 Divisions
    Division (military)
    A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...

     coming under six operational headquarters and 2 independent Divisions and several independent Brigade
    Brigade
    A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...

    s. The army is also based in other parts of the island for internal security including a Division for the defense of the capital.

    Foreign

    The Sri Lanka Army currently participates in several major overseas deployments:
    • Haiti
      Haiti
      Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...

       - an infantry
      Infantry
      Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...

       battalion
      Battalion
      A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...

       with support personal totaling around 1000 personal in Haiti
      Haiti
      Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...

       as part of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti
      United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti
      The United Nations Stabilisation Mission In Haiti , also known as MINUSTAH, an acronym of the French translation, is a United Nations peacekeeping mission in Haiti that has been in operation since 2004. The mission's military component is led by the Brazilian Army and the force commander is...

       since 2004.
    • Chad
      Chad
      Chad , officially known as the Republic of Chad, is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic to the south, Cameroon and Nigeria to the southwest, and Niger to the west...

       - a contingent of engineers joined the United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad
      United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad
      The United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad was a United Nations peacekeeping mission established by the United Nations Security Council on September 25, 2007 to provide a multidimensional presence of up to 350 police and military personnel to eastern Chad and north-eastern...

       on May 25, 2010.
    • Lebanon
      Lebanon
      Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...

       - a mechanized infantry
      Mechanized infantry
      Mechanized infantry are infantry equipped with armored personnel carriers , or infantry fighting vehicles for transport and combat ....

       company
      Company (military unit)
      A company is a military unit, typically consisting of 80–225 soldiers and usually commanded by a Captain, Major or Commandant. Most companies are formed of three to five platoons although the exact number may vary by country, unit type, and structure...

       with combat support personal in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon
      United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon
      The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, or UNIFIL, was created by the United Nations, with the adoption of Security Council Resolution 425 and 426 on 19 March 1978, to confirm Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon which Israel had invaded five days prior, restore international peace and security,...

       since November 2010.

    Organization Structure

    The professional head of the army is the Commander of the Army
    Commander of the Army (Sri Lanka)
    Commander of the Army is the title of the professional head of the Sri Lanka Army. The current Commander of the Army is Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasuriya...

    , at present Lieutenant General
    Lieutenant General
    Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....

     Jagath Jayasuriya
    Jagath Jayasuriya
    Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasuriya, VSV, USP, ndc, psc, SLAC is a Sri Lankan military officer and is the current Commander of the Sri Lankan Army...

    . He is assisted by the Chief of Staff
    Chief of Staff
    The title, chief of staff, identifies the leader of a complex organization, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a Principal Staff Officer , who is the coordinator of the supporting staff or a primary aide to an important individual, such as a president.In general, a chief of...

     of the Army, currently Major General
    Major General
    Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...

     Daya Ratnayaka The Commandant of the Volunteer Force is head of the Army Volunteer Force
    Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force
    The Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force is the principal and Volunteer reserve force component of the Sri Lanka Army. It is a collective name for the reserve units and the Sri Lanka National Guard of the Sri Lankan Army. The SLAVF is made up of part-time Officers and soldiers paid at a similar rate,...

     and is responsible for the administration and recruitment of all reserve units and personal. The Army Headquarters
    Army Headquarters (Sri Lanka)
    Army Headquarters refers to the military headquarters complex of the Sri Lanka Army. Situated next to Galle Face Green and long the Lower Lake Road, this complex also includes the Ministry of Defence. Apart from operational and administrative offices, it contains the regimental centers of several...

    , situated in Colombo
    Colombo
    Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...

     is the main administrative and the operational headquarters
    Headquarters
    Headquarters denotes the location where most, if not all, of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. In the United States, the corporate headquarters represents the entity at the center or the top of a corporation taking full responsibility managing all business activities...

     of the Sri Lanka Army.

    Administrative

    The Army Headquarters
    Army Headquarters (Sri Lanka)
    Army Headquarters refers to the military headquarters complex of the Sri Lanka Army. Situated next to Galle Face Green and long the Lower Lake Road, this complex also includes the Ministry of Defence. Apart from operational and administrative offices, it contains the regimental centers of several...

     is divided into a number of branches, namely the General Staff
    General Staff
    A military staff, often referred to as General Staff, Army Staff, Navy Staff or Air Staff within the individual services, is a group of officers and enlisted personnel that provides a bi-directional flow of information between a commanding officer and subordinate military units...

     (GS) branch responsible for coordination of operations and training and the Adjutant General's (AGs) branch responsible for personal administration, welfare, medical services and rehabilitation. The Quarter Master General's (QMGs) branch is responsible for feeding, transport, movement and construction and maintenance. The Master General of Ordnance
    Master-General of the Ordnance (Sri Lanka)
    Master-General of the Ordnance is a senior position in the General Staff of the Sri Lanka Army, the post is a head by a senior officer of the Major General rank. The Master-General of the Ordnance's Branch is responsible for procurement and maintenance of vehicles and special equipment of the Sri...

    's (MGOs) branch is responsible for procurement and maintenance of vehicles and special equipment. The Military Secretary
    Military Secretary (Sri Lanka)
    Military Secretary is a senior position in the General Staff of the Sri Lanka Army, the post is a head by a senior officer of the Major General rank. The Military Secretary's Branch is responsible for handling all matters pertaining to officers such as promotions, postings and discipline of the Sri...

    's Branch is responsible for handling all matters pertaining to officers such as promotions
    Promotion (rank)
    A promotion is the advancement of an employee's rank or position in an organizational hierarchy system. Promotion may be an employee's reward for good performance i.e. positive appraisal...

    , postings and discipline
    Discipline
    In its original sense, discipline is referred to systematic instruction given to disciples to train them as students in a craft or trade, or to follow a particular code of conduct or "order". Often, the phrase "to discipline" carries a negative connotation. This is because enforcement of order –...

    . Each branch is headed by an officer in the rank of Major General
    Major General
    Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...

     who is directly responsible to the Commander of the Army for the smooth functioning of the Branch. Under each Branch, there are several Directorates, each headed by a Brigadier
    Brigadier
    Brigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....

    .

    The Headquarters of field formations each have its own staff. For instance a divisional headquarters is divided into a GS branch as an AQ branch, each headed by a Colonel
    Colonel
    Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...

     and is responsible for operations & training and administration & logistics respectively. Similarly, a Brigade
    Brigade
    A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...

     Major
    Major
    Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...

     and Major AQ is responsible for operations
    Military operation
    Military operation is the coordinated military actions of a state in response to a developing situation. These actions are designed as a military plan to resolve the situation in the state's favor. Operations may be of combat or non-combat types, and are referred to by a code name for the purpose...

     and administration in a brigade
    Brigade
    A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...

    .

    Like the Indian Army
    Indian Army
    The Indian Army is the land based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. With about 1,100,000 soldiers in active service and about 1,150,000 reserve troops, the Indian Army is the world's largest standing volunteer army...

    , the Sri Lanka Army has largely retained the British
    United Kingdom
    The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

    -style regimental system that it inherited upon independence. The individual regiment
    Regiment
    A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...

    s (such as the Sri Lanka Light Infantry and the Sinha Regiment) operate independently and recruit their own members. Officers tend to remain in a single battalion
    Battalion
    A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...

     throughout their careers. The infantry
    Infantry
    Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...

     battalion, the basic unit of organization in field operations, includes five companies of four platoons each. Typical platoon have three squads (sections) of ten personnel each. In addition to the basic infantry forces, a commando
    Commando
    In English, the term commando means a specific kind of individual soldier or military unit. In contemporary usage, commando usually means elite light infantry and/or special operations forces units, specializing in amphibious landings, parachuting, rappelling and similar techniques, to conduct and...

     regiment was also established in 1986. Support for the infantry is provided by an armoured
    Armoured warfare
    Armoured warfare or tank warfare is the use of armoured fighting vehicles in modern warfare. It is a major component of modern methods of war....

     regiment, five reconnaissance
    Reconnaissance
    Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....

     regiments, three mechanized infantry
    Mechanized infantry
    Mechanized infantry are infantry equipped with armored personnel carriers , or infantry fighting vehicles for transport and combat ....

     regiments, five field artillery
    Artillery
    Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...

     regiments, a rocket artillery
    Rocket artillery
    Rocket artillery is a type of artillery equipped with rocket launchers instead of conventional guns or mortars.Types of rocket artillery pieces include multiple rocket launchers.-History:...

     regiment, three commando regiments , three special forces regiments, six field engineering
    Combat engineering
    A combat engineer, also called pioneer or sapper in many armies, is a soldier who performs a variety of construction and demolition tasks under combat conditions...

     regiments, five signals battalions, a medical corps
    Battlefield medicine
    Battlefield medicine, also called field surgery and later combat casualty care, is the treatment of wounded soldiers in or near an area of combat. Civilian medicine has been greatly advanced by procedures that were first developed to treat the wounds inflicted during combat...

    , and a variety of logistics units.

    Regiments & Corps

    Name Headquarters Subunits
    Armoured Corps
    Sri Lanka Armoured Corps
    The Sri Lanka Armoured Corps is currently a collection of six regular regiments and a volunteer regiment. It has an independent Armoured Brigade and provides the armour capability of the Sri Lankan Army, with vehicles such as the T-55, T-55AM2, and Type 69 main battle tanks, the BMP infantry...

    Rock House Army Camp
    Rock House Army Camp
    Rock House Army Camp is a military base located at Modera, north of Colombo in the Western Province of Sri Lanka. It serves as the regimental headquarters of the Sri Lanka Armoured Corps of Sri Lanka Army. Built and used by the British Army during World War II, it was taken over by the newly formed...

    , Colombo
    Colombo
    Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...

    Eight regular regiments and a volunteer regiment.
    Artillery
    Sri Lanka Artillery
    The Sri Lanka Artillery is a corps of the Sri Lanka Army. It is made up of 7 regular regiments and 2 volunteer regiments. The SLA is headquartered at Panagoda Cantonment, Panagoda.-History:...

    Panagoda Cantonment
    Panagoda Cantonment
    Panagoda Cantonment is a cantonment located in the western Western Province of Sri Lanka. It serves as the regimental headquarters of many regiments of the Sri Lanka Army and is an arsenal. The 11 Division of the Sri Lanka Army is based at the Panagoda cantonment...

    , Panagoda
    Panagoda
    Panagoda is a town in Western Province, Sri Lanka of Sri Lanka. Its 20 km away from Colombo. Situated there is the Panagoda Cantonment, the largest military base in the country....

    Seven regular regiments and two volunteer regiments.
    Engineers
    Sri Lanka Engineers
    http://fieldengineers.lk/The Sri Lanka Engineers a combat support arms of the Sri Lanka Army which provides combat engineering. It is made up of ten Regular Regiments and one Volunteer Regiments. Headquartered at Army Cantonment, Panagoda...

    Army Headquarters
    Army Headquarters (Sri Lanka)
    Army Headquarters refers to the military headquarters complex of the Sri Lanka Army. Situated next to Galle Face Green and long the Lower Lake Road, this complex also includes the Ministry of Defence. Apart from operational and administrative offices, it contains the regimental centers of several...

    , Colombo
    Colombo
    Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...

    Six regular regiments and one volunteer regiment.
    Signals Corps
    Sri Lanka Signals Corps
    The Sri Lanka Signals Corps a combat support corps of the Sri Lanka Army, responsible for providing military communications, information technology and electronic warfare support. The corps is made up of nine regular regiments and one volunteer regiment...

    Panagoda Cantonment
    Panagoda Cantonment
    Panagoda Cantonment is a cantonment located in the western Western Province of Sri Lanka. It serves as the regimental headquarters of many regiments of the Sri Lanka Army and is an arsenal. The 11 Division of the Sri Lanka Army is based at the Panagoda cantonment...

    , Panagoda
    Panagoda
    Panagoda is a town in Western Province, Sri Lanka of Sri Lanka. Its 20 km away from Colombo. Situated there is the Panagoda Cantonment, the largest military base in the country....

    Seven regular regiments and one volunteer regiment with Signals workshop and Infonation Technologe Uint (11 SLSC)
    Light Infantry
    Sri Lanka Light Infantry
    The Sri Lanka Light Infantry is the oldest regiment in the Sri Lanka Army and the oldest infantry regiment in the army. It is made up of ten regular battalions, five volunteer battalions. Headquartered at Panagoda Cantonment, Panagoda...

    Panagoda Cantonment
    Panagoda Cantonment
    Panagoda Cantonment is a cantonment located in the western Western Province of Sri Lanka. It serves as the regimental headquarters of many regiments of the Sri Lanka Army and is an arsenal. The 11 Division of the Sri Lanka Army is based at the Panagoda cantonment...

    , Panagoda
    Panagoda
    Panagoda is a town in Western Province, Sri Lanka of Sri Lanka. Its 20 km away from Colombo. Situated there is the Panagoda Cantonment, the largest military base in the country....

    Ten regular battalions, five volunteer battalions.
    Sinha Regiment
    Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment
    The Sri Lanka Sinha Regiment is the first rifle regiment in the Sri Lanka Army and the second oldest infantry regiment in the army. It is made up of seven regular battalions, five volunteer battalions and a headquarter battalion...

    Ambepussa Camp, Ambepussa
    Ambepussa
    Ambepussa is a town in the Kegalla District in Sri Lanka Also one more Ambepussa in Gampaha District.- History :The first railroad tracks in Sri Lanka led from Colombo to Ambepussa .- Geography :...

    Seven regular battalions, five volunteer battalions and a head quarter battalion.
    Gemunu Watch
    Gemunu Watch
    The Gemunu Watch was formed with troops from the Ceylon Light Infantry and the Ceylon Sinha Regiment in 1962. It has been deployed in many major operations against the LTTE. It is made up of 9 regular units and 4 volunteer units. Headquartered at Kuruwita Army Camp, Ratnapura...

    Kuruwitha Army camp, Ratnapura
    Ratnapura
    - Floods :The town of Ratnapura is situated in the flooding plain of the river Kalu. The town experiences regular floods usually in the month of May. There is no large dam across the Kalu, so this leaves the city at the mercy of nature's forces every year. Several proposals have been made to reduce...

    Nine regular units, four volunteer units.
    Gajaba Regiment
    Gajaba Regiment
    The Gajaba Regiment was formed when 1st Battalion the Rajarata Rifles and 1st Battalion the Vijayabahu Infantry Regiment were amalgamated in 1983 to counter the threat from the LTTE. It is made up of six regular battalions and five volunteer battalions. Headquartered at Saliyapura Camp, Anuradhapura...

    Saliyapura Camp, Anuradhapura
    Anuradhapura
    Anuradhapura, , is one of the ancient capitals of Sri Lanka, famous for its well-preserved ruins of ancient Lankan civilization.The city, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, lies 205 km north of the current capital Colombo in Sri Lanka's North Central Province, on the banks of the historic...

    Twelve regular battalions and five volunteer battalions.
    Vijayabahu Infantry Regiment
    Vijayabahu Infantry Regiment
    The king Vijayabahu was the one of the greatest rulers who ruled Sri Lanka from 1055 AD to 1110 AD. His heroic action is very popular among the Sri Lankans. Our Regiment is privilege to name as the Vijayabahu Infantry Regiment to give the honour and respect to this great king...

    Boyagane Camp
    Boyagane Camp
    Boyagane Army Camp is a military base located close to the town of Kurunegala in the North Western Province of Sri Lanka. It serves as the regimental headquarters of the Vijayabahu Infantry Regiment of Sri Lanka Army....

    , Kurunegala
    Kurunegala
    Kurunegala , is the capital of the North Western Province, Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka and the Kurunegala District. Kurunegala was also an ancient royal capital for 50 years, from the end of the 13th century to the start of the 13th century. The town itself is a busy commercial and a transport hub...

    Eight regular battalions and four volunteer battalions.
    Mechanized Infantry Regiment
    Mechanized Infantry Regiment
    The Mechanized Infantry Regiment is the newest regiment in the Sri Lanka Army. It is made up of three regular battalions. Establish in 2007 its battalions equipped with Type 63 and WZ551 armoured personnel carriers make up the Mechanized Infantry Brigade .-History:The Mechanized Infantry Regiment...

    N/A Three regular battalions.
    President's Guard
    President's Guard
    The President's Guard is a newly formed unit of the Sri Lanka Army. It is responsible for the security of the President of Sri Lanka along with the President's Security Division which is the close protection agency President...

    N/A N/A
    Commando Regiment
    Sri Lanka Army Commando Regiment
    The Sri Lanka Army Commando Regiment is an elite special operations unit which is a Regiment of the Sri Lanka Army. Within one of the four Army Commando Regiments there is a 140-man counter-terrorist unit that provides the primary Counter-terrorism response for Sri Lanka...

    Ganemulla
    Ganemulla
    Ganemulla is a mid size town situated in the Gampaha District of Sri Lanka. Ganemulla is about 9 km from Kadawatha on the Colombo-Kandy road. The nearest city to Ganemulla is Gampaha, which is about 5 km in distance...

    , Gampaha
    Gampaha District
    - Local Authorities in Gampaha district:Gampaha is the District Capital of Gampaha District and is a principal town around Colombo. It is about 4 km from Miriswatte on the Colombo - Kandy Road.- Urban Councils :* Katunayake-Seeduwa * Ja-ela* Wattala...

    Four regular regiments.
    Special Forces Regiment
    Sri Lanka Army Special Forces Regiment
    The Sri Lanka Army Special Forces Regiment is the elite special forces unit of the Sri Lanka Army. This Regiment is specialized in hard-hitting shock action. The Special Forces Regiment has the distinction of taking part in almost all major offensives conducted by the Army since 1986. Their motto...

    Seeduwa
    Seeduwa
    ' Seeduwa is a town in Gampaha District in the Western Province of Sri Lanka....

    , Gampaha
    Gampaha District
    - Local Authorities in Gampaha district:Gampaha is the District Capital of Gampaha District and is a principal town around Colombo. It is about 4 km from Miriswatte on the Colombo - Kandy Road.- Urban Councils :* Katunayake-Seeduwa * Ja-ela* Wattala...

    Three regular regiments.
    Military Intelligence Corps
    Military Intelligence Corps (Sri Lanka)
    The Military Intelligence Corps is one of the corps of the Sri Lanka Army. It is responsible for gathering, analysing and disseminating military intelligence and also for counter-intelligence and security.-Units:...

    Colombo
    Colombo
    Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...

    Two regular battalions.
    Engineer Services Regiment
    Engineer Services Regiment
    The Engineer Services Regiment a regiment of the Sri Lanka Army. The role of the Engineer Services Regiment is to design, construct and maintain all buildings, roads and associated facilities such as electricity, water supply and drainage systems used by the Sri Lanka Army, Apart from this, the...

    Panagoda Cantonment
    Panagoda Cantonment
    Panagoda Cantonment is a cantonment located in the western Western Province of Sri Lanka. It serves as the regimental headquarters of many regiments of the Sri Lanka Army and is an arsenal. The 11 Division of the Sri Lanka Army is based at the Panagoda cantonment...

    , Panagoda
    Panagoda
    Panagoda is a town in Western Province, Sri Lanka of Sri Lanka. Its 20 km away from Colombo. Situated there is the Panagoda Cantonment, the largest military base in the country....

    Three regular regiments and a volunteer regiment.
    Service Corps
    Sri Lanka Army Service Corps
    The Sri Lanka Army Service Corps is a Combat Support corps of the Sri Lanka Army. The role of the corps is to carry supplies to the soldier where he is, and run an efficient organization for the provision of transport, fuel, oil and lubricants which are the 'life blood of an army’...

    Panagoda Cantonment
    Panagoda Cantonment
    Panagoda Cantonment is a cantonment located in the western Western Province of Sri Lanka. It serves as the regimental headquarters of many regiments of the Sri Lanka Army and is an arsenal. The 11 Division of the Sri Lanka Army is based at the Panagoda cantonment...

    , Panagoda
    Panagoda
    Panagoda is a town in Western Province, Sri Lanka of Sri Lanka. Its 20 km away from Colombo. Situated there is the Panagoda Cantonment, the largest military base in the country....

    Four regular units and one volunteer unit.
    Medical Corps
    Sri Lanka Army Medical Corps
    The Sri Lanka Army Medical Corps is a specialist corps in the Sri Lanka Army which provides medical services to all army personnel and their families in war and in peace. It is made up of 4 regular units and one volunteer unit. Headquartered in Colombo, formally at army headquarters...

    Panagoda Cantonment
    Panagoda Cantonment
    Panagoda Cantonment is a cantonment located in the western Western Province of Sri Lanka. It serves as the regimental headquarters of many regiments of the Sri Lanka Army and is an arsenal. The 11 Division of the Sri Lanka Army is based at the Panagoda cantonment...

    , Panagoda
    Panagoda
    Panagoda is a town in Western Province, Sri Lanka of Sri Lanka. Its 20 km away from Colombo. Situated there is the Panagoda Cantonment, the largest military base in the country....

    Two regular units and one volunteer unit.
    Ordnance Corps
    Sri Lanka Army Ordnance Corps
    The Sri Lanka Army Ordnance Corps a combat support corps of the Sri Lanka Army. The role of the corps is the procurement, receipt, storage, accounting, maintenance, control and issue of all types of ordnance stores...

    Panagoda Cantonment
    Panagoda Cantonment
    Panagoda Cantonment is a cantonment located in the western Western Province of Sri Lanka. It serves as the regimental headquarters of many regiments of the Sri Lanka Army and is an arsenal. The 11 Division of the Sri Lanka Army is based at the Panagoda cantonment...

    , Panagoda
    Panagoda
    Panagoda is a town in Western Province, Sri Lanka of Sri Lanka. Its 20 km away from Colombo. Situated there is the Panagoda Cantonment, the largest military base in the country....

    Three regular ordnance battalions and one volunteer ordnance battalion.
    Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
    Sri Lanka Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
    The Sri Lanka Electrical and Mechanical Engineers - is a Combat Support corps of the Sri Lanka Army. It is made up of six regular regiments and one volunteer regiment. Regiment Center located at Kew Road, Slave Island, Colombo...

    Slave Island
    Slave Island
    Slave Island is a suburb in Colombo, Sri Lanka located directly south of the Fort area of Colombo. The name Slave Island was given during the period of British occupation and administration, and refers to the situation under Portuguese and Dutch administration when slaves were held there, most of...

    , Colombo
    Colombo
    Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...

    Three regular regiments and one volunteer regiment.
    Corps of Military Police
    Sri Lanka Corps of Military Police
    The Sri Lanka Corps of Military Police is the branch of the Sri Lanka Army responsible for the policing of service personnel and providing a military police presence on service property, operations and exercises. It is made up of three regular regiments and with headquartered at Regiment Center...

    Polhengoda, Colombo
    Colombo
    Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...

    Three regular regiments.
    General Service Corps
    Sri Lanka Army General Service Corps
    The Sri Lanka Army General Service Corps a corps of the Sri Lanka Army. The corps carries out much of the administrative work of the army. The role of the Corps is to provide logistic backing to Regular and Volunteer units by performing pay duties, legal services, running of agriculture projects...

    Panagoda Cantonment
    Panagoda Cantonment
    Panagoda Cantonment is a cantonment located in the western Western Province of Sri Lanka. It serves as the regimental headquarters of many regiments of the Sri Lanka Army and is an arsenal. The 11 Division of the Sri Lanka Army is based at the Panagoda cantonment...

    , Panagoda
    Panagoda
    Panagoda is a town in Western Province, Sri Lanka of Sri Lanka. Its 20 km away from Colombo. Situated there is the Panagoda Cantonment, the largest military base in the country....

    Three regular unit and a volunteer unit.(With 3 & 4 SLAGSC (Pay & Recored)
    Women's Corps
    Sri Lanka Army Women's Corps
    The Sri Lanka Army Women's Corps was formed on September 1, 1979 as an unarmed, noncombatant support unit. Currently the corps were 2 regular unit and 5 volunteers units and is headquartered in Colombo 08.-Overview:...

    Regtl Centre
    Army Headquarters (Sri Lanka)
    Army Headquarters refers to the military headquarters complex of the Sri Lanka Army. Situated next to Galle Face Green and long the Lower Lake Road, this complex also includes the Ministry of Defence. Apart from operational and administrative offices, it contains the regimental centers of several...

    , Borella
    Borella
    Borella is the largest suburb in Colombo, Sri Lanka represented by divisional code 8.-Demographic:Borella is a multi-religious and multi-ethnic area. The major ethnic communities in Borella are Sinhalese and Tamils. There are also various other minorities such as Burghers, Arab descendants and others...

    One regular unit and 4 volunteers unit.
    Rifle Corps
    Sri Lanka Rifle Corps
    The Sri Lanka Rifle Corps a regiment of the Sri Lanka Army. It is made up of two volunteer battalions. It has been formed with personnel from the central highlands and the many plantations in the Central Province of Sri Lanka...

    Army Headquarters
    Army Headquarters (Sri Lanka)
    Army Headquarters refers to the military headquarters complex of the Sri Lanka Army. Situated next to Galle Face Green and long the Lower Lake Road, this complex also includes the Ministry of Defence. Apart from operational and administrative offices, it contains the regimental centers of several...

    , Colombo
    Colombo
    Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...

    Two volunteer battalions.
    Pioneer Corps
    Sri Lanka Army Pioneer Corps
    The Sri Lanka Army Pioneer Corps is a regiment of the Sri Lanka Army. Established as manpower reserve to be utilized in times of strikes and union action to maintain the functionality of essential services and other state functions, other such units that existed then and has since been disband...

    Headquarters, Battharamulla, Pelawattha. One volunteer unit.
    National Guard
    Sri Lanka National Guard
    The Sri Lanka National Guard is the largest regiment in the Sri Lanka Army. It is a Volunteer Regiment made up of 32 battalions coming under the Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force.-History:The Sri Lanka National Guard was founded by Lt. Col. D.W...

    Kurunegala
    Kurunegala
    Kurunegala , is the capital of the North Western Province, Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka and the Kurunegala District. Kurunegala was also an ancient royal capital for 50 years, from the end of the 13th century to the start of the 13th century. The town itself is a busy commercial and a transport hub...

    32 volunteer battalions.

    Operational Command

    Organized and controlled by the Army General Staff at Army HQ, various formations are raised from time to time to suit various security requirements and operation in the country and overs seas. The Army at present has deployed 12 Divisions
    Division (military)
    A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...

    , 7 task force
    Task force
    A task force is a unit or formation established to work on a single defined task or activity. Originally introduced by the United States Navy, the term has now caught on for general usage and is a standard part of NATO terminology...

    s and several independent brigade
    Brigade
    A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...

    s. Except for the 11 Division based at the Panagoda Cantonment
    Panagoda Cantonment
    Panagoda Cantonment is a cantonment located in the western Western Province of Sri Lanka. It serves as the regimental headquarters of many regiments of the Sri Lanka Army and is an arsenal. The 11 Division of the Sri Lanka Army is based at the Panagoda cantonment...

     which is responsible for the maintenance of capability for the defence of the capital, all other divisions, task forces and brigades are deployed for operations in the Northern
    Northern Province, Sri Lanka
    The Northern Province is one of the 9 provinces of Sri Lanka. The provinces have existed since the 19th century but did not have any legal status until 1987 when the 13th Amendment to the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka established provincial councils. Between 1988 and 2006 the province was...

     and Eastern
    Eastern Province, Sri Lanka
    The Eastern Province is one of the 9 provinces of Sri Lanka. The provinces have existed since the 19th century but they didn't have any legal status until 1987 when the 13th Amendment to the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka established provincial councils. Between 1988 and 2006 the province was...

     provinces of Sri Lanka, coming under six regional commands
    Command (military formation)
    A command in military terminology is an organisational unit that the individual in Military command has responsibility for. A Commander will normally be specifically appointed into the role in order to provide a legal framework for the authority bestowed...

     known as Security Forces Headquarters, which are the Security Forces Headquarters Jaffna (SFHQ-J
    Security Forces Headquarters - Jaffna
    Security Forces Headquarters - Jaffna is a regional command of the Sri Lanka Army, that is responsible for the operational deployment and command all army units stationed in and around the Jaffna Peninsula in the Northern Province, this includes several divisions and the independent brigades...

    ), Wanni (SFHQ-W
    Security Forces Headquarters - Wanni
    Security Forces Headquarters - Wanni is a regional command of the Sri Lanka Army, that is responsible for the operational deployment and command all army units stationed in and around the southern part or the Wanni region of the Northern Province, this includes several divisions and the...

    ), East (SFHQ-E
    Security Forces Headquarters - East
    Security Forces Headquarters – East is a regional command of the Sri Lanka Army, that is responsible for the operational deployment and command all army units stationed in and around the Eastern Province, this includes several divisions and the independent brigades...

    ), Kilinochchi (SFHQ-KLN
    Security Forces Headquarters - Kilinochchi
    Security Forces Headquarters - Kilinochchi is a regional command of the Sri Lanka Army, that is responsible for the operational deployment and command all army units stationed in Kilinochchi District, this includes several divisions and the independent brigades. This a new command established to...

    ), Mullaittivu (SFHQ-MLT
    Security Forces Headquarters - Mullaittivu
    Security Forces Headquarters - Mullaittivu is a regional command of the Sri Lanka Army, that is responsible for the operational deployment and command all army units stationed in Mullaittivu District, this includes several divisions and the independent brigades. This a new command established to...

    ) & South (SFHQ-S
    Security Forces Headquarters - South
    Security Forces Headquarters - South is a regional command of the Sri Lanka Army, that is responsible for the operational deployment and command all army units stationed in the Southern part of the island, this includes a division and several independent brigades...

    )

    Each SFHQ and most divisions are commanded by a General Officer Commanding
    General Officer Commanding
    General Officer Commanding is the usual title given in the armies of Commonwealth nations to a general officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, a general might be the GOC II Corps or GOC 7th Armoured Division...

     in the rank of Major General
    Major General
    Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...

    . A SFHQ has several divisions under its command and each division is further divided into brigade
    Brigade
    A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...

    s. Each brigade is commanded by an officer in the rank of Brigadier
    Brigadier
    Brigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....

     and has a number of Infantry
    Infantry
    Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...

     battalions, support arms (Artillery
    Artillery
    Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...

    , Engineers
    Military engineer
    In military science, engineering refers to the practice of designing, building, maintaining and dismantling military works, including offensive, defensive and logistical structures, to shape the physical operating environment in war...

     and Signals) and support services (Service Corps, Engineering Services, Ordnance Corps, Electrical and Mechanical Engineers) under assigned to it. There are also several independent brigade (Air Mobile Brigade
    Air Mobile Brigade (Sri Lanka)
    The Air Mobile Brigade is a formation of the Sri Lanka Army. It is a rapid deployment force, creating a highly mobile brigade of parachute units and airmobile units which employ helicopters. Air mobility is provided by the Mil Mi-17s of the No. 6 Squadron of the Sri Lanka Air Force.-External links:**...

    , Armored Brigade, etc.)

    In other parts of the country, there are Area and Sub-Area Headquarters. Armour, Artillery
    Artillery
    Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...

    , Engineers
    Combat engineering
    A combat engineer, also called pioneer or sapper in many armies, is a soldier who performs a variety of construction and demolition tasks under combat conditions...

     and Signals
    Military communications
    Historically, the first military communications had the form of sending/receiving simple signals . Respectively, the first distinctive tactics of military communications were called Signals, while units specializing in those tactics received the Signal Corps name...

     Units are grouped under Brigade Headquarters of their own arm; Armored Brigade, Artillery Brigade and so on.

    Force formations

    Security Forces Headquarters - Jaffna
    Security Forces Headquarters - Jaffna
    Security Forces Headquarters - Jaffna is a regional command of the Sri Lanka Army, that is responsible for the operational deployment and command all army units stationed in and around the Jaffna Peninsula in the Northern Province, this includes several divisions and the independent brigades...

     (SFHQ-J)
    • 51 Division, based in Jaffna
      Jaffna
      Jaffna is the capital city of the Northern Province, Sri Lanka. It is the administrative headquarters of the Jaffna district located on a peninsula of the same name. Jaffna is approximately six miles away from Kandarodai which served as a famous emporium in the Jaffna peninsula from classical...

    • 52 Division, based in the Jaffna Peninsula
      Jaffna Peninsula
      The Jaffna Peninsula is an area in Northern Province, Sri Lanka. It is home to the capital city of the province, Jaffna and comprises much of the former land mass of the ancient Tamil kingdoms of the Nagas and the medieval Jaffna kingdom. The peninsula is mostly surrounded by water, connected to...

    • 55 Division
      55 Division (Sri Lanka)
      The 55 Division is an elite division of the Sri Lanka Army. A principal offensive division it is currently deployed for combat operations in the Jaffna Peninsula and is under the command of Security Forces Headquarters - Jaffna. -Towns captured by 55 Division:...

      , based in Elephant Pass Military Base
      Elephant Pass Military Base
      Elephant Pass Military Bas is a military base located in strategic Elephant Pass, Northern Province of Sri Lanka. Elephant Pass is the gateway of the Jaffna Peninsula, that connects it to the mainland....

      , Jaffna Peninsula
      Jaffna Peninsula
      The Jaffna Peninsula is an area in Northern Province, Sri Lanka. It is home to the capital city of the province, Jaffna and comprises much of the former land mass of the ancient Tamil kingdoms of the Nagas and the medieval Jaffna kingdom. The peninsula is mostly surrounded by water, connected to...



    Security Forces Headquarters - Wanni
    Security Forces Headquarters - Wanni
    Security Forces Headquarters - Wanni is a regional command of the Sri Lanka Army, that is responsible for the operational deployment and command all army units stationed in and around the southern part or the Wanni region of the Northern Province, this includes several divisions and the...

     (SFHQ-W)
    • 56 Division, operating in the Vavuniya District
      Vavuniya District
      Vavuniya district is one of the 25 administrative districts of Sri Lanka. The district is administered by a District Secretariat headed by a District Secretary appointed by the central government of Sri Lanka. The headquarters is located in Vavuniya town...

    • 61 Division, operating in the Vavuniya District
      Vavuniya District
      Vavuniya district is one of the 25 administrative districts of Sri Lanka. The district is administered by a District Secretariat headed by a District Secretary appointed by the central government of Sri Lanka. The headquarters is located in Vavuniya town...

    • 21 Division
    • Area Headquarters Mannar, Mannar
      Mannar, Sri Lanka
      Mannar , formerly spelled Manar, is the capital of Mannar District, Sri Lanka. It is located on Mannar Island.Mannar is known for its baobab trees and for its fort, built by the Portuguese in 1560 and taken by the Dutch in 1658 and rebuilt; its ramparts and bastions are intact, though the interior...



    Security Forces Headquarters - East
    Security Forces Headquarters - East
    Security Forces Headquarters – East is a regional command of the Sri Lanka Army, that is responsible for the operational deployment and command all army units stationed in and around the Eastern Province, this includes several divisions and the independent brigades...

     (SFHQ-E)
    • 22 Division, based in Trincomalee
      Trincomalee
      Trincomalee is a port city in Eastern Province, Sri Lanka and lies on the east coast of the island, about 113 miles south of Jaffna. It has a population of approximately 100,000 . The city is built on a peninsula, which divides the inner and outer harbours. Overlooking the Kottiyar Bay,...

    • 23 Division, based in Poonani, Batticaloa District
      Batticaloa District
      Batticaloa district is one of the 25 administrative districts of Sri Lanka. The district is administered by a District Secretariat headed by a District Secretary appointed by the central government of Sri Lanka. The headquarters is located in Batticaloa town...



    Security Forces Headquarters - Kilinochchi
    Security Forces Headquarters - Kilinochchi
    Security Forces Headquarters - Kilinochchi is a regional command of the Sri Lanka Army, that is responsible for the operational deployment and command all army units stationed in Kilinochchi District, this includes several divisions and the independent brigades. This a new command established to...

     (SFHQ-KLN)
    • 57 Division
      57 Division (Sri Lanka)
      The 57 Division is a newly formed infantry division of the Sri Lanka Army. A principal offensive division it is currently deployed for combat operations in the Wanni region.-Formation:...

      , operating in the Kilinochchi District
      Kilinochchi District
      Kilinochchi district is one of the 25 administrative districts of Sri Lanka. The district is administered by a District Secretariat headed by a District Secretary appointed by the central government of Sri Lanka. The headquarters is located in Kilinochchi town...

    • 66 Division, operating in the Kilinochchi District
      Kilinochchi District
      Kilinochchi district is one of the 25 administrative districts of Sri Lanka. The district is administered by a District Secretariat headed by a District Secretary appointed by the central government of Sri Lanka. The headquarters is located in Kilinochchi town...

    • 68 Division, operating in the Kilinochchi District
      Kilinochchi District
      Kilinochchi district is one of the 25 administrative districts of Sri Lanka. The district is administered by a District Secretariat headed by a District Secretary appointed by the central government of Sri Lanka. The headquarters is located in Kilinochchi town...

    • Task Force 3, operating in the Kilinochchi District
      Kilinochchi District
      Kilinochchi district is one of the 25 administrative districts of Sri Lanka. The district is administered by a District Secretariat headed by a District Secretary appointed by the central government of Sri Lanka. The headquarters is located in Kilinochchi town...

    • Task Force 7, operating in the Kilinochchi District
      Kilinochchi District
      Kilinochchi district is one of the 25 administrative districts of Sri Lanka. The district is administered by a District Secretariat headed by a District Secretary appointed by the central government of Sri Lanka. The headquarters is located in Kilinochchi town...



    Security Forces Headquarters - Mullaittivu
    Security Forces Headquarters - Mullaittivu
    Security Forces Headquarters - Mullaittivu is a regional command of the Sri Lanka Army, that is responsible for the operational deployment and command all army units stationed in Mullaittivu District, this includes several divisions and the independent brigades. This a new command established to...

     (SFHQ-MLT)
    • 59 Division
      59 Division (Sri Lanka)
      The 59 Division is an infantry division of the Sri Lanka Army formed in 2007. A principal offensive division it is currently deployed for combat operations in the Wanni region.-Operations:...

      , operating in the Mullaittivu District
    • 64 Division, operating in the Mullaittivu District
    • 65 Division, Thunukkai, Mullaittivu District
    • Task Force 2, operating in the Mullaittivu District


    Security Forces Headquarters - South
    Security Forces Headquarters - South
    Security Forces Headquarters - South is a regional command of the Sri Lanka Army, that is responsible for the operational deployment and command all army units stationed in the Southern part of the island, this includes a division and several independent brigades...

     (SFHQ-S)
    • Operation Command Colombo, Colombo
      Colombo
      Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...

    • 11 Division, based at the Panagoda Cantonment
      Panagoda Cantonment
      Panagoda Cantonment is a cantonment located in the western Western Province of Sri Lanka. It serves as the regimental headquarters of many regiments of the Sri Lanka Army and is an arsenal. The 11 Division of the Sri Lanka Army is based at the Panagoda cantonment...

      , Western Province
      Western Province, Sri Lanka
      The Western Province is the most densely populated province of Sri Lanka. It is home to the legislative capital Sri Jayawardenapura as well to Colombo, the nation's administrative and business center.-Districts:Basnahira is divided into 3 districts:...

      • 111 "Kandy" Brigade
        111 Brigade (Sri Lanka)
        The 111 Brigade is a formation of the Sri Lanka Army. The Brigade is reproducible for the defense of the City of Kandy and the central province at large...

    • Area Headquarters Hambantota, Hambantota
      Hambantota
      Hambantota is a coastal city in the south of Sri Lanka. It is the capital of the Hambantota District...

    • Area Headquarters Galle, Galle
      Galle
      Galle is a city situated on the southwestern tip of Sri Lanka, 119 km from Colombo. Galle is the capital city of Southern Province of Sri Lanka and it lies in Galle District....

    • Area Headquarters Diyatalawa, Diyatalawa
      Diyatalawa
      Diyatalawa is a garrison town in the central highlands of Sri Lanka, in the Badulla District of Uva Province. It is at an altitude of and has become a popular destination for local holiday makers...

    • Sub Area Headquarters Ratnapura, Ratnapura
      Ratnapura
      - Floods :The town of Ratnapura is situated in the flooding plain of the river Kalu. The town experiences regular floods usually in the month of May. There is no large dam across the Kalu, so this leaves the city at the mercy of nature's forces every year. Several proposals have been made to reduce...

    • Sub Area Headquarters Kurunegala, Kurunegala
      Kurunegala
      Kurunegala , is the capital of the North Western Province, Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka and the Kurunegala District. Kurunegala was also an ancient royal capital for 50 years, from the end of the 13th century to the start of the 13th century. The town itself is a busy commercial and a transport hub...



    Independent Divisions
    • 53 Division
      53 Division (Sri Lanka)
      The 53 Division is an elite division of the Sri Lanka Army. A principal offensive division, it is currently deployed for combat operations in the Jaffna Peninsula and is under the command of Security Forces Headquarters - Jaffna....

      , based at Mankulam
      Mankulam
      Mankulam is a village in Idukki district in the Indian state of Kerala. The village is geographically located 32 KM from Adimaly, Idukki, Kerala...

    • 58 Division
      58 Division (Sri Lanka)
      The 58 Division is an infantry division of the Sri Lanka Army formed in 2008, prior to which it was known as Task Force 1 from 2007 to 2009. A principal offensive division, it is currently deployed for combat operations in the Wanni region...

      , based at Paranthan
      Paranthan
      Paranthan is a town in Kilinochchi District, Sri Lanka. It is located about 5 km from district capital Kilinochchi.-Creation :The city of Paranthan was established in 1936 as part of a colonization project that sought to ease overpopulation and unemployment in Jaffna..-See...

       (formally referred to as the Task Force 1)


    Independent Brigades
    • Air Mobile Brigade
      Air Mobile Brigade (Sri Lanka)
      The Air Mobile Brigade is a formation of the Sri Lanka Army. It is a rapid deployment force, creating a highly mobile brigade of parachute units and airmobile units which employ helicopters. Air mobility is provided by the Mil Mi-17s of the No. 6 Squadron of the Sri Lanka Air Force.-External links:**...

    • Mechanized Infantry Brigade
      Mechanized Infantry Brigade (Sri Lanka)
      The Mechanized Infantry Brigade is a mechanized infantry formation of the Sri Lanka Army. This grouping created a highly mobile brigade equipped with Type 63 and WZ551 armoured personnel carriers.- Current formation :...

    • Armored Brigade
    • Special Forces Brigade
    • Commando Brigade
    • Artillery Brigade
    • Engineer Brigade
    • Signals Brigade


    Disbanded
    • 54 Division, based at Elephant Pass
      Elephant Pass
      Elephant Pass, Northern Province, Sri Lanka is an important military base and formerly the island's largest salt field, located in the gateway of Jaffna Peninsula. It has thus regularly been the site of battles during the civil war....

    • 2 Division
    • 3 Division

    Training

    General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University
    General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University
    General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University located at Kandawala, Ratmalana, Colombo, is a joint services academy where cadets of the three wings Sri Lanka Army, Sri Lanka Navy and Sri Lanka Air Force are trained before they go for their pre-commission training to their academies...

    (KDU) formed in 1981 and situated in Ratmalana, fourteen kilometers south of Colombo
    Colombo
    Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...

    , is Sri Lanka's only university specializing in defense studies. Each year, approximately fifty cadets from all three services are admitted to the university (aged 18–22) to participate in a three-year program of academic work and basic training.

    Junior field officer
    Field officer
    A field officer is an army, marine, or air force commissioned officer senior in rank to a company officer but junior to a general officer; in some navies, it is an officer who is a Lieutenant Commander, Commander, or Captain....

    s of the army and their counterparts in the Navy and Air Force are given advanced training and education at the Defence Services Command and Staff College
    Defence Services Command and Staff College
    The Defence Services Command and Staff College is situated at Batalanda, Makola 12 Kilometers away from Colombo and its aim to develop the professional knowledge and understanding of experienced officers of the Sri Lanka Army, Sri Lanka Navy & the Sri Lanka Air Force to prepare them for the ranks...

    (DSCSC) at Batalanda, Makola which was established in 1997 as the Army Command and Staff College.

    Basic officer training is carried out at the Sri Lanka Military Academy
    Sri Lanka Military Academy
    The Sri Lanka Military Academy , commonly known simply as Diyatalawa, is the Sri Lanka Army's officer initial training centre located in the garrison town of Diyatalawa in the central highlands of Sri Lanka....

    (SLMA) (formally the Army Training Center) situated in Diyatalawa
    Diyatalawa
    Diyatalawa is a garrison town in the central highlands of Sri Lanka, in the Badulla District of Uva Province. It is at an altitude of and has become a popular destination for local holiday makers...

    , in the Badulla District
    Badulla District
    Badulla is a district in Uva Province, Sri Lanka. The entire land area of the Badulla district is 2,861 km² and total population is 837,000. The district is bounded by the districts of Monaragala and Rathnapura on the East & South, by Ampara and Kandy districts on the North and by Nuwara...

    . The officer cadets graduating from the academy are commissioned as officers in the regular and volunteer forces. The course for officer cadet
    Cadet
    A cadet is a trainee to become an officer in the military, often a person who is a junior trainee. The term comes from the term "cadet" for younger sons of a noble family.- Military context :...

    s runs for ninety weeks and includes training in tactics and administration which helps prepare the cadets to take up the positions of platoon
    Platoon
    A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two to four sections or squads and containing 16 to 50 soldiers. Platoons are organized into a company, which typically consists of three, four or five platoons. A platoon is typically the smallest military unit led by a commissioned officer—the...

     commanders. The course consisted of military and academic subjects and also trained the cadets physically. The course helps to promote leadership
    Leadership
    Leadership has been described as the “process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task". Other in-depth definitions of leadership have also emerged.-Theories:...

     qualities and the understanding of each one’s role as an officer and a servant of the state. Due to the lack of officers within the lower levels, the training process was sped up in the 1980s by developing a short commission course. The cadets were given a training of fifty-six weeks and devoted themselves to continue their careers in the military with the ten years of service for regular army officers and five years of service for volunteer officers.

    Training for the new recruits are carried out by the Army Training School
    Army Training School
    The Army Training School is a unit of the Sri Lanka Army responsible for recruit training and unit training for infantry battalion. It is based in Maduruoya it was established in 1985 at the Panagoda Cantonment by the Sri Lanka Light Infantry as the Recruit Training School.In late 1984 the unit...

    in Maduru Oya at several locations followed by additional training (both officers and other ranks) at the Infantry Training Centre
    Infantry Training Centre (Sri Lanka Army)
    The Infantry Training Centre is a unit of the Sri Lanka Army responsible for both basic and advanced training of Soldiers and Officers joining the infantry...

    in Minneriya, the Combat Training School in Ampara, while non-commissioned officer
    Non-commissioned officer
    A non-commissioned officer , called a sub-officer in some countries, is a military officer who has not been given a commission...

    s receive training at the Non-commissioned Officers Training School at Kala Oya. All these establishments come under the control of the Directorate of Training, Army Headquarters. Specialist and additional training is given by specialist training schools, regimental training centers and individual field units.

    As the armed forces of Sri Lanka have a limited indigenous training facilities, especially in advanced roles, they have depended greatly on military training provided by foreign countries. The United Kingdom
    United Kingdom
    The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

     played a major role in the early years following independence and have continued to be an important source of military expertise to the Sri Lankan military. Other sources include Pakistan
    Pakistan
    Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...

    , Australia
    Australia
    Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

    , Malaysia, and the United States
    United States
    The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

    . Additionally, in an agreement reached in 1984, Israel
    Israel
    The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...

    i security personnel (reportedly from Shin Bet, the Israeli counterespionage and internal security organization) trained army officers in counterinsurgency techniques.

    The Sri Lankan Army has also provided special training to the United States Army
    United States Army
    The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...

     on their request as well as many other countries in military education regarding civilian rescue, jungle combat, and guerilla warfare etc.

    Training establishments

    Training Centers
    1. Sri Lanka Military Academy
      Sri Lanka Military Academy
      The Sri Lanka Military Academy , commonly known simply as Diyatalawa, is the Sri Lanka Army's officer initial training centre located in the garrison town of Diyatalawa in the central highlands of Sri Lanka....

       (SLMA)
    2. Army Training School
      Army Training School
      The Army Training School is a unit of the Sri Lanka Army responsible for recruit training and unit training for infantry battalion. It is based in Maduruoya it was established in 1985 at the Panagoda Cantonment by the Sri Lanka Light Infantry as the Recruit Training School.In late 1984 the unit...

       (ATS)
    3. Infantry Training Centre
      Infantry Training Centre (Sri Lanka Army)
      The Infantry Training Centre is a unit of the Sri Lanka Army responsible for both basic and advanced training of Soldiers and Officers joining the infantry...

       (ITC)
    4. Combat Training School (CTS)
    5. Army Physical Education Centre (APEC)
    6. Volunteer Force Training School (VFTS)
    7. Marksman Sniper Training School (MSTS)
    8. Non-Commission Officer Training School (NCOTS)
    9. Language Training School (LTS)
    10. Institute of Peacekeeping Support Operations Training Sri Lanka (IPSOT-SL)

    Regimental Training Centers
    1. Armoured Cops Training Centre
    2. School Of Artillery
    3. Sri Lanka School of Military Engineering
    4. School Of Mechanical Engineers
    5. School Of Signals
    6. Commando Regiment Training School
    7. Engineer Service School
    8. Sri Lanka Army Service Corps. School
    9. Sri Lanka Army Military School Of Nursing
    10. Sri Lanka Army Ordnance School
    11. Sri Lanka Electrical And Mechnaical Engineers School
    12. Sri Lanka Corps of Military Police School
    13. SriLanka Army General Service Corps. School


    Personnel

    The Sri Lanka Army presently stands at 200,000 strong including 2,960 women plus and 58,000 reservists.

    In late 1987, the army had a total estimated strength of up to 40,000 troops, about evenly divided between regular army personnel and reservists on active duty. The approximately 20,000 regular army troops represented a significant increase over the 1983 strength of only 12,000. Aggressive recruitment campaigns following the 1983 riots raised this number to 16,000 by early 1985. By 2007, the Army had expanded to over 120,000 personnel.

    Since the Sri Lankan armed forces are all volunteer
    Volunteer military
    A volunteer military or all-volunteer military is one which derives its manpower from volunteers rather than conscription or mandatory service. A country may offer attractive pay and benefits through military recruitment to attract volunteers...

     services, all personal in the Sri Lanka Army have volunteered as regular personnel or reservists. This should not be confused with the traditional term volunteers used for reservists or reservist units. Recruitment of the personal are carried island wide with a restrictions in the norther and eastern provinces during the civil war in those areas. The Rifle Corps
    Sri Lanka Rifle Corps
    The Sri Lanka Rifle Corps a regiment of the Sri Lanka Army. It is made up of two volunteer battalions. It has been formed with personnel from the central highlands and the many plantations in the Central Province of Sri Lanka...

     is the only territorial unit that carries out recruitment from a specific area. In June 2009, Sri Lanka announced plans to create a "Tamil regiment" to promote integration in the army

    Parama Weera Vibhushanaya recipients

    The Parama Weera Vibhushanaya
    Parama Weera Vibhushanaya
    Parama Weera Vibhushanaya , is the highest Sri Lankan military decoration equivalent to the British Victoria Cross , or the United States Medal of Honor, that's awarded as a reward for all ranks of the tri services individual acts of gallantry...

     is the highest award for valour awarded in the Sri Lankan armed forces. Army recipients include;
    • Colonel
      Colonel
      Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...

       A.F. Lafir 
    • Major
      Major
      Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...

       G. S. Jayanath
    • Captain Saliya Upul Aladeniya
      Saliya Upul Aladeniya
      Captain Saliya Upul Aladeniya PWV, WWV, SLRS was the second recipient of the Parama Weera Vibhushanaya, highest war time award for valour of the Sri Lanka Military...

    • Second Lieutenant
      Second Lieutenant
      Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...

       K.W.T. Nissanka 
    • Warrant Officer 2nd Class
      Warrant Officer
      A warrant officer is an officer in a military organization who is designated an officer by a warrant, as distinguished from a commissioned officer who is designated an officer by a commission, or from non-commissioned officer who is designated an officer by virtue of seniority.The rank was first...

       Pasan Gunasekera
      Pasan Gunasekera
      Warrant Officer Class 2 H.B. Pasan Gunasekera PWV, WWV, RSP, GR was a non-commissioned officer in the Sri Lanka Army who was posthumously promoted to the rank of Warrant Officer Class 2 from Staff Sergeant, and awarded the Parama Weera Vibhushanaya medal, the Sri Lanka's highest military...

    • Corporal
      Corporal
      Corporal is a rank in use in some form by most militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. It is usually equivalent to NATO Rank Code OR-4....

       Gamini Kularatne
      Gamini Kularatne
      Corporal Gamini Kularatne PWV, SLSR , called the Hasalaka Hero , was a Sri Lankan soldier. He was the first recipient of the Parama Weera Vibhushanaya, the highest award for gallantry awarded by the Sri Lanka Army.- Early life :Gamini Kularatne was the second son of a family of four brothers and...

    • Lance Corporal
      Lance Corporal
      Lance corporal is a military rank, used by many armed forces worldwide, and also by some police forces and other uniformed organizations. It is below the rank of corporal, and is typically the lowest non-commissioned officer, usually equivalent to the NATO Rank Grade OR-3.- Etymology :The presumed...

       W. I. M. Seneviratne
      W. I. M. Seneviratne
      Lance Corporal W.I.M Seneviratne PWV was a Sri Lankan soldier. After joining the Sri Lanka Army in 1987, Seneviratne served during the Sri Lankan Civil War...

       

    Notable fallen members

    Over 23,790 Sri Lankan armed forces personnel were killed since begin of the civil war in 1981 to its end in 2009, this includes 11 general officers killed in active duty or assassinated.. 659 service personnel were killed due to the second JVP insurrection from 1987 to 1990. 53 service personnel were killed and 323 were wounded in the first JVP insurrection from 1971 to 1972. Notable fallen members includes;
    • Lt. General Denzil Kobbekaduwa
      Denzil Kobbekaduwa
      Lieutenant General Denzil Lakshman Kobbekaduwa RWP, RSP, VSV, USP, rcds, psc, SLAC was a highly decorated and respected General in the Sri Lanka army...

      - One of the greatest generals in modern Sri Lanka and Overall Operations Commander, Northern Sector
      Northern Province, Sri Lanka
      The Northern Province is one of the 9 provinces of Sri Lanka. The provinces have existed since the 19th century but did not have any legal status until 1987 when the 13th Amendment to the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka established provincial councils. Between 1988 and 2006 the province was...

      .
    • Lt. General Parami Kulatunga
      Parami Kulatunga
      Lieutenant General Parami Sugandika Bandara Kulatunga RSP, VSV, USP, GW was Deputy Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army, its third highest ranking officer....

      - Former Deputy Chief of Staff of the Army.
    • Lt. General Nalin Angammana
      Nalin Angammana
      Lieutenant General Nalin Angammana , Commander of Sri Lanka's 3rd army division, was one of the distinguished Generals in the Sri Lanka army. He is the most senior officer of Sri Lanka Army to be killed in battlefield during the Sri Lankan Civil War. Angammana was educated at Dharmaraja College,...

      - Former GOC
      General Officer Commanding
      General Officer Commanding is the usual title given in the armies of Commonwealth nations to a general officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, a general might be the GOC II Corps or GOC 7th Armoured Division...

       3 Division.
    • Maj. General Vijaya Wimalaratne
      Vijaya Wimalaratne
      Major General Vijaya Wimalaratne RWP, RSP, VSV, USP, psc, GR was a Sri Lankan army officer and one of the most distinguished generals in Sri Lanka.-Education:...

      - Jaffna Brigade Commander & One of the greatest generals in modern Sri Lanka.
    • Maj. General Percy Fernando
      Percy Fernando
      Major General Percy Fernando, RWP, RSP, psc, CR was a Sri Lankan Army officer, who was the Deputy GOC, 54 Division based at Elephant Pass and prior to which he was the brigade commander of the independent Special Forces Brigade....

      - Former deputy GOC
      General Officer Commanding
      General Officer Commanding is the usual title given in the armies of Commonwealth nations to a general officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, a general might be the GOC II Corps or GOC 7th Armoured Division...

       54 Division.
    • Maj. General Larry Wijeratne
      Larry Wijeratne
      Major General Larry A.R. Wijeratne USP, SLA was the former Commanding Officer of 51-4 Brigade based in Jaffna.-Early life and family:...

      - Former brigade commander, 51-4 Brigade.
    • Maj. General Lakshman 'Lucky' Wijayaratne - Former brigade commander, 22 Brigade.
    • Maj. General Susantha Mendis - Former brigade commander, 51-2 Brigade.
    • Maj. General Ananda Hamangoda - Former brigade commander, 51-2 Brigade.
    • Brigadier
      Brigadier
      Brigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....

       Bhathiya Jayatilleka
      Bhathiya Jayatilleka
      Brigadier W.A.A.P. Bhathiya Jayatilleka, RSP, SLA was a Sri Lankan Army officer, who was the Brigade commander, 54-1 brigade of the 54 Division based at Elephant Pass....

        - former Brigade commander, 54-1 brigade
    • Brigadier
      Brigadier
      Brigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....

       Rohitha Neil Akmeemana - former Brigade commander, Elephant pass.
    • Colonel
      Colonel
      Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...

       Tuan Nizam Muthaliff
      Tuan Nizam Muthaliff
      Colonel Tuan Nizam Muthaliff RWP, MI was the former Commanding Officer of the 1st Battalion Military Intelligence Corps.-Background:...

       - Former commanding officer 1st Battalion Military Intelligence Corps.

    Women in the Sri Lanka Army

    The Sri Lanka Army Women's Corps
    Sri Lanka Army Women's Corps
    The Sri Lanka Army Women's Corps was formed on September 1, 1979 as an unarmed, noncombatant support unit. Currently the corps were 2 regular unit and 5 volunteers units and is headquartered in Colombo 08.-Overview:...

     (SLAWC) was formed on September 1, 1979 as an unarmed, noncombatant support unit
    Combat service support
    Combat service support is a subset of military logistics. Combat service support is more limited in depth than logistics, as it primarily addresses those factors directly influencing combat operations.-United States Army:...

    . Set up with the assistance of the Women's Royal Army Corps
    Women's Royal Army Corps
    The Women's Royal Army Corps was the corps to which all women in the British Army except medical, dental and veterinary officers and chaplains and nurses belonged from 1949 to 1992.-History:The...

    , it was identical in structure to its parent organization, and its first generation of officer cadets was trained in Britain. Candidates were required to be between eighteen and twenty years old and to have passed the General Common Entrance (Ordinary level)
    General Certificate of Secondary Education
    The General Certificate of Secondary Education is an academic qualification awarded in a specified subject, generally taken in a number of subjects by students aged 14–16 in secondary education in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and is equivalent to a Level 2 and Level 1 in Key Skills...

     examinations, while the Officer candidates must have passed the Advanced Level. Enlistment entailed a five-year service commitment (the same as for men), and recruits were not allowed to marry during this period. In the sixteen-week training course at the Army Training Center at the Diyatalawa Sri Lanka Military Academy, cadets were put through a program of drill and physical training similar to the men's program, with the exception of weapons and battle craft training. Female recruits were paid according to the same scale as the men, but were limited to service in nursing
    Nursing
    Nursing is a healthcare profession focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life from conception to death....

    , communication
    Communication
    Communication is the activity of conveying meaningful information. Communication requires a sender, a message, and an intended recipient, although the receiver need not be present or aware of the sender's intent to communicate at the time of communication; thus communication can occur across vast...

    s, and clerical work. In late 1987, the first class of women graduates from the Viyanini Army Training Center were certified to serve as army instructors. But, from late 1987 - after hostilities began, the first batch of women graduates from the British Army's Women's Corp Center certified to serve as Army Instructors.

    Up to now, women officers have proved their ability and serve in varied specialized fields in the Service as control tower operators
    Control tower
    A control tower, or more specifically an Air Traffic Control Tower , is the name of the airport building from which the air traffic control unit controls the movement of aircraft on and around the airport. Control towers are also used to control the traffic for other forms of transportation such...

    , electronic warfare technicians
    Electronic warfare
    Electronic warfare refers to any action involving the use of the electromagnetic spectrum or directed energy to control the spectrum, attack an enemy, or impede enemy assaults via the spectrum. The purpose of electronic warfare is to deny the opponent the advantage of, and ensure friendly...

    , radio material teletypists, automotive mechanics
    Auto mechanic
    An auto mechanic is a mechanic with a variety of car makes or either in a specific area or in a specific make of car. In repairing cars, their main role is to diagnose the problem accurately and quickly...

    , aviation supply personnel
    Assault Support
    Assault Support is one of the six functions of United States Marine Corps aviation and comprises those actions required to airlift personnel, supplies or equipment into or within a battle area by helicopters or fixed-wing aircraft. It provides the Marine Air-Ground Task Force commander the...

    , cryptographers, doctors
    Physician
    A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...

    , combat medic
    Combat medic
    Combat medics are trained military personnel who are responsible for providing first aid and frontline trauma care on the battlefield. They are also responsible for providing continuing medical care in the absence of a readily available physician, including care for disease and battle injury...

    , lawyers, engineers
    Combat engineering
    A combat engineer, also called pioneer or sapper in many armies, is a soldier who performs a variety of construction and demolition tasks under combat conditions...

     and even aerial photographers
    Aerial photography
    Aerial photography is the taking of photographs of the ground from an elevated position. The term usually refers to images in which the camera is not supported by a ground-based structure. Cameras may be hand held or mounted, and photographs may be taken by a photographer, triggered remotely or...

    .

    To meet the operational requirements in the field areas, the 2nd Volunteer Battalion
    Battalion
    A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...

     of the Women’s Corps was also raised. A few officers from the regular counter part were attached to this unit to organize the command structure. They are currently employed in active combat duties in the northern
    Northern Province, Sri Lanka
    The Northern Province is one of the 9 provinces of Sri Lanka. The provinces have existed since the 19th century but did not have any legal status until 1987 when the 13th Amendment to the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka established provincial councils. Between 1988 and 2006 the province was...

     and eastern
    Eastern Province, Sri Lanka
    The Eastern Province is one of the 9 provinces of Sri Lanka. The provinces have existed since the 19th century but they didn't have any legal status until 1987 when the 13th Amendment to the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka established provincial councils. Between 1988 and 2006 the province was...

     parts of the island.

    Many officers commencing with Lieutenant Colonel
    Lieutenant colonel
    Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...

     A.W. Thambiraja were appointed to command this unit from time to time. The first women’s corps officer to command the unit was Lieutenant Colonel Kumudini Weerasekara in 1992 and as of 2007 there were three female officers of the rank of Major General
    Major General
    Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...

    . At present there is one regular regiment and four volunteer regiments in the Women’s Corps.

    Complaints over survivors’ benefits

    The Organisation for Disabled Soldiers has complained that compensation paid for war victims is inadequate. In August 2007, a spokesman for the organisation pointed out that the compensation paid to the families of soldiers killed during the war has remained flat for 23 years at Rs. 150,000, which has dwindled in value to the equivalent of US$
    United States dollar
    The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....

    1500. This amount is the same for all ranks, including generals. In contrast, however, the families of politicians are much more highly compensated; the family of the late Minister Mr. M. H. M. Ashroff was awarded Rs. 5 million (US$50,000) following his death in a helicopter crash.

    Equipment

    In the 1980s and 1990s, the army expanded its range of weapons from the original stock of World War II
    World War II
    World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

    -era British
    United Kingdom
    The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

     Lee Enfield rifles, Sten Submachine guns
    Sten
    The STEN was a family of British 9 mm submachine guns used extensively by British and Commonwealth forces throughout World War II and the Korean War...

    , Vickers machine gun
    Vickers machine gun
    Not to be confused with the Vickers light machine gunThe Vickers machine gun or Vickers gun is a name primarily used to refer to the water-cooled .303 inch machine gun produced by Vickers Limited, originally for the British Army...

    s, Bren machine guns, 6-inch coastal guns, Daimler Armoured Car
    Daimler Armoured Car
    The Daimler Armoured Car was a British armoured car of the Second World War.-History:The Daimler Armoured Car was a parallel development to the Daimler Dingo "Scout car", a small armoured vehicle for scouting and liaison roles. It was another Birmingham Small Arms design...

    s, Bren Gun Carriers
    Universal Carrier
    The Universal Carrier, also known as the Bren Gun Carrier is a common name describing a family of light armoured tracked vehicles built by Vickers-Armstrong. Produced between 1934 and 1960, the vehicle was used widely by British Commonwealth forces during the Second World War...

    , 40 mm anti-aircraft guns
    Bofors 40 mm gun
    The Bofors 40 mm gun is an anti-aircraft autocannon designed by the Swedish defence firm of Bofors Defence...

    , 3.7 inch heavy anti-aircraft guns
    QF 3.7 inch AA gun
    The 3.7-Inch QF AA was Britain's primary heavy anti-aircraft gun during World War II. It was roughly the equivalent of the German 88 mm FlaK but with a slightly larger calibre of 94 mm and superior performance. It was used throughout World War II in all theatres except the Eastern Front...

     and 4.2-inch heavy mortars
    Mortar (weapon)
    A mortar is an indirect fire weapon that fires explosive projectiles known as bombs at low velocities, short ranges, and high-arcing ballistic trajectories. It is typically muzzle-loading and has a barrel length less than 15 times its caliber....

     as well as post war Alvis Saladin
    Alvis Saladin
    The Saladin is a six-wheeled armoured car built by Alvis, and fitted with a 76mm gun.Used extensively by the British Army, it replaced the AEC Armoured Car that had been in service since World War II.-History:...

    s, Alvis Saracen
    Alvis Saracen
    The FV603 Saracen is a six-wheeled armoured personnel carrier built by Alvis and used by the British army. It became a recognisable vehicle as a result of its part in the policing of Northern Ireland.-History:...

    , Ferrets
    Ferret armoured car
    The Ferret armoured car, also commonly called the Ferret Scout car, is a British armoured fighting vehicle designed and built for reconnaissance purposes. The Ferret was produced between 1952 and 1971 by the UK company, Daimler...

     and Shorland S55s. New sources of weaponry in the mid-to-late 1970s included the Soviet Union
    Soviet Union
    The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....

    , Yugoslavia
    Yugoslavia
    Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....

    , and China - countries with which the leftist Bandaranaike
    Sirimavo Bandaranaike
    Sirimavo Ratwatte Dias Bandaranaike was a Sri Lankan politician and the world's first female head of government...

     government had close ties. China continued to be an important source of arms well into the 1990s.

    To meet the threat posed by predominantly the LTTE, Army purchased modern military hardware including 50-caliber heavy machine gun
    Heavy machine gun
    The heavy machine gun or HMG is a larger class of machine gun generally recognized to refer to two separate stages of machine gun development. The term was originally used to refer to the early generation of machine guns which came into widespread use in World War I...

    s, rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) launchers, Night Vision Devices, 106 mm recoilless rifles
    M40 recoilless rifle
    The M40 recoilless rifle was a lightweight, portable, crew-served 105 mm weapon intended primarily as an anti-tank weapon made in the United States...

    , 60 mm and 81 mm mortar
    Mortar (weapon)
    A mortar is an indirect fire weapon that fires explosive projectiles known as bombs at low velocities, short ranges, and high-arcing ballistic trajectories. It is typically muzzle-loading and has a barrel length less than 15 times its caliber....

    s, 40 mm grenade launcher
    Grenade launcher
    A grenade launcher or grenade discharger is a weapon that launches a grenade with more accuracy, higher velocity, and to greater distances than a soldier could throw it by hand....

    s and some sniper rifle
    Sniper rifle
    In military and law enforcement terminology, a sniper rifle is a precision-rifle used to ensure more accurate placement of bullets at longer ranges than other small arms. A typical sniper rifle is built for optimal levels of accuracy, fitted with a telescopic sight and chambered for a military...

    s. Refurbished armored personnel carriers were added to the 'A' vehicle fleet of the 1st Reece Regiment, Sri Lanka Armoured Corps
    Sri Lanka Armoured Corps
    The Sri Lanka Armoured Corps is currently a collection of six regular regiments and a volunteer regiment. It has an independent Armoured Brigade and provides the armour capability of the Sri Lankan Army, with vehicles such as the T-55, T-55AM2, and Type 69 main battle tanks, the BMP infantry...

    . These APCs enabled the Armoured Corps to have their own assault troops to provide close contact protection to their Alvis Saladin
    Alvis Saladin
    The Saladin is a six-wheeled armoured car built by Alvis, and fitted with a 76mm gun.Used extensively by the British Army, it replaced the AEC Armoured Car that had been in service since World War II.-History:...

     and Ferret Scout Cars
    Ferret armoured car
    The Ferret armoured car, also commonly called the Ferret Scout car, is a British armoured fighting vehicle designed and built for reconnaissance purposes. The Ferret was produced between 1952 and 1971 by the UK company, Daimler...

     which were vulnerable to anti-tank weapons. The capability of the Sri Lanka Artillery
    Sri Lanka Artillery
    The Sri Lanka Artillery is a corps of the Sri Lanka Army. It is made up of 7 regular regiments and 2 volunteer regiments. The SLA is headquartered at Panagoda Cantonment, Panagoda.-History:...

     was enhanced with the introduction of Ordnance QF 25 pounder
    Ordnance QF 25 pounder
    The Ordnance QF 25 pounder, or more simply, 25-pounder or 25-pdr, was introduced into service just before World War II, during which it served as the major British field gun/howitzer. It was considered by many to be the best field artillery piece of the war, combining high rates of fire with a...

    s. Chinese-made 122 mm, 130 mm and 152 mm howitzers were introduced to the Sri Lankan Army in 1995 and 1998 whilst 122 mm Multi Barrel Rocket Launchers (MBRL), were first used in 2000 by the Sri Lanka Army.
    Though the weapons were obsolete at the time of purchase, the Government security forces found them to be successful in combat. Land mines proved to be the most lethal threat to the security forces, as many mines have been deployed against government forces by the LTTE in the Northern and Eastern Provinces. These mines were deployed with normalcy against government trucks and buses, with a high rate of casualty. These land mines weighed approximately 50 – 100 kg, against which no armoured vehicle that the SLA possessed was able to withstand the blast effect. Therefore the South Africa
    South Africa
    The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

    n made Buffel
    Buffel
    The Buffel is a mine-protected APC used by the South African Army during the South African Border War. The Buffel was also used as an armoured fighting vehicle and proved itself in this role...

     was introduced to service in 1985 to reduce damage due to land mines. By 1987 the Army's own Unicorn
    Unicorn class
    The Unicorn is a mine-protected wheeled APC used by the Sri Lankan military.-Production history:Initial research into producing a "Blast Protected Vehicle" armoured personnel carrier was begun in 1983 by a lone Infantry Major named Jayantha de Silva who was concerned by the destruction wrought by...

     was also developed to a level so that they too matched the capabilities of the Buffels from South Africa, this was followed up by the newer Unibuffel
    Unibuffel
    The Unibuffel is a mine-protected wheeled APC used by the Sri Lankan military.-Production history:Although similar to the South African Buffel, it is built entirely by the Sri Lanka Electrical and Mechanical Engineers...

     class. Both the Unicorn and the Unibuffel are assembled by the Sri Lanka Electrical & Mechanical Engineers
    Sri Lanka Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
    The Sri Lanka Electrical and Mechanical Engineers - is a Combat Support corps of the Sri Lanka Army. It is made up of six regular regiments and one volunteer regiment. Regiment Center located at Kew Road, Slave Island, Colombo...

    .

    In recent years, Sri Lanka has become increasingly reliant on China for weapons. This is due to most European nations
    European Union
    The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...

     and the United States
    United States
    The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

     Governments passing regulations about the selling of weaponry to nations which are suffering from internal conflict. However in light of recent attacks by the LTTE, the United States
    United States
    The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

     has expressed its intent to maintain military training assistance and possibly increase it should the violence continue.

    China has no such regulations upon their arms producers, and some see the sales as an attempt to gain political influence with strategically important Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka also continues to receive a variety of weapons from Britain
    United Kingdom
    The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

    , Pakistan
    Pakistan
    Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...

    , Israel
    Israel
    The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...

     and other former suppliers.

    Armour

    ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Type
    ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Origin
    ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Quantity
    ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Notes
    |----
    ! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Main Battle Tank
    Main battle tank
    A main battle tank , also known as a battle tank or universal tank, is a tank that fills the heavy direct fire role of many modern armies. They were originally conceived to replace the light, medium, heavy and super-heavy tanks. Development was spurred onwards in the Cold War with the development...

    s

    |----
    | T-55
    T-55
    The T-54 and T-55 tanks were a series of main battle tanks designed in the Soviet Union. The first T-54 prototype appeared in March 1945, just before the end of the Second World War. The T-54 entered full production in 1947 and became the main tank for armored units of the Soviet Army, armies of...

    /T-55AM2
    |  Soviet Union
    | 140+
    |
    |----
    | Type 69
    |  Mainland China
    | 20+
    |
    |----
    | Type 59
    Type 59
    The Type 59 main battle tank is a Chinese produced version of the Soviet T-54A tank, an improvement over the ubiquitous T-54/55. The first vehicles were produced in 1958 and it was accepted into service in 1959, with serial production beginning in 1963...


    |  Mainland China
    | 80+
    |----
    ! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Light Tank
    Light tank
    A light tank is a tank variant initially designed for rapid movement, and now primarily employed in low-intensity conflict. Early light tanks were generally armed and armored similar to an armored car, but used tracks in order to provide better cross-country mobility.The light tank was a major...

    s

    |----
    | Type 63
    Type 63 light tank
    The Norinco Type 63 is a Chinese amphibious light tank. First fielded in 1963, it is in many ways similar to the earlier Soviet PT-76. However, contrary to the popular belief, it does have some essential differences from the PT-76 in the vehicle's waterjet propulsion system, etc...


    |  Mainland China
    | N/A
    | Amphibious
    |----
    ! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Infantry fighting vehicle
    Infantry fighting vehicle
    An infantry fighting vehicle , also known as a mechanized infantry combat vehicle , is a type of armoured fighting vehicle used to carry infantry into battle and provide fire support for them...

    s

    |----
    | BMP-3
    BMP-3
    The BMP-3 is a Russian amphibious infantry fighting vehicle, successor to the BMP-1 and BMP-2. BMP stands for Boyevaya Mashina Pekhoty .- Production history :...


    |  Soviet Union
    | 45
    |
    |----
    | BMP-2
    BMP-2
    The BMP-2 is a second-generation, amphibious infantry fighting vehicle introduced in the 1980s in the Soviet Union, following the BMP-1 of the 1960s....


    |  Soviet Union
    | 240
    |
    |----
    | BMP-1
    BMP-1
    The BMP-1 is a Soviet amphibious tracked infantry fighting vehicle. BMP stands for Boyevaya Mashina Pekhoty 1 , meaning "infantry fighting vehicle". The BMP-1 was the world's first mass-produced infantry fighting vehicle...


    |  Soviet Union
    | 13
    |
    |----
    ! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Armoured personnel carrier
    Armoured personnel carrier
    An armoured personnel carrier is an armoured fighting vehicle designed to transport infantry to the battlefield.APCs are usually armed with only a machine gun although variants carry recoilless rifles, anti-tank guided missiles , or mortars...

    s

    |----
    | Norinco Type 89
    Norinco Type 89 IFV
    The Norinco Type 89 tracked armoured fighting vehicle is a Chinese armoured personnel carrier. It was developed from the earlier export market Type 85 AFV vehicle. It entered service in the late 1990s and was first shown publicly in 1999. There are approximately 1,000 in service...

     (YW534)
    |  Mainland China
    | N/A
    | Tracked
    |----
    | Type 85 (YW531H)
    |  Mainland China
    | N/A
    | Tracked, Amphibious
    |----
    | Type 63
    Type 63 (armoured personnel carrier)
    The Type 63 is a Chinese armoured personnel carrier that entered service in the late 1960s. It was the first armoured vehicle designed in China without Soviet assistance. The design is simple and is comparable to other APCs of its time such as the M113.Approximately 3,000 were produced by Norinco,...

     (YW531)
    |  Mainland China
    | N/A
    | Tracked
    |----
    | BTR-80
    BTR-80
    BTR-80 is an 8x8 wheeled armoured personnel carrier designed in the Soviet Union. Production started in 1986 and replaced the previous versions, BTR-60 and BTR-70 in the Soviet army. -Description:The Soviets based the BTR-80 on the BTR-70 APC...


    |  Soviet Union
    | 45
    | wheeled
    |----
    | Type 92
    WZ551
    The WZ551 is a Chinese wheeled armored personnel carrier. It is actually consisted of two families of vehicles with official designations in the People's Liberation Army as Type 90 and Type 92. Roughly 600 WZ551s are in service with the PLA, where they are used by light mechanized infantry units...

     (WZ551)
    |  Mainland China
    | 200
    | wheeled
    |----
    | Unibuffel
    Unibuffel
    The Unibuffel is a mine-protected wheeled APC used by the Sri Lankan military.-Production history:Although similar to the South African Buffel, it is built entirely by the Sri Lanka Electrical and Mechanical Engineers...


    |  Sri Lanka
    | 53+
    | Locally manufactured, Mine-protected APC
    |----
    | Unicorn
    Unicorn class
    The Unicorn is a mine-protected wheeled APC used by the Sri Lankan military.-Production history:Initial research into producing a "Blast Protected Vehicle" armoured personnel carrier was begun in 1983 by a lone Infantry Major named Jayantha de Silva who was concerned by the destruction wrought by...


    |  Sri Lanka
    | 60+
    | Locally manufactured, Mine-protected APC
    |----
    | Buffel
    Buffel
    The Buffel is a mine-protected APC used by the South African Army during the South African Border War. The Buffel was also used as an armoured fighting vehicle and proved itself in this role...


    |  South Africa
    | N/A
    | Mine-protected APC
    |----
    | BTR-152
    BTR-152
    The BTR-152 was a non-amphibious Soviet wheeled armored personnel carrier that entered Soviet service in 1950. By the early 1970s it had been replaced in the infantry vehicle role by the BTR-60...


    |  Soviet Union
    | N/A
    | wheeled, (retired)
    |----
    | Hotspur Hussar
    |
    | N/A
    | wheeled, (retired)
    |----
    | Shorland S55
    Shorland armoured car
    The Shorland is an armoured car that was designed specifically for the Royal Ulster Constabulary by a police support officer Ernie Lusty during the sixties for patrolling the border to prevent organised smuggling. They were reallocated to the Ulster Defence Regiment in 1970...


    |
    | N/A
    | wheeled, (retired)
    |----
    | Hotspur
    Land Rover Tangi
    The Land Rover Tangi is the last in the line of a range of armoured vehicles, based on the Land Rover chassis used in policing during the Troubles in Northern Ireland. They have been used by the Royal Ulster Constabulary and, since its renaming, by the Police Service of Northern Ireland...


    |
    | N/A
    | wheeled, (retired)
    |----
    ! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Reconnaissance vehicle
    Reconnaissance vehicle
    A reconnaissance vehicle, also known as a scout vehicle, is a military vehicle used for forward reconnaissance.- Design :Smaller caliber weapons help reduce the vehicle's profile and noise signatures...

    s

    |----
    | Alvis Saladin
    Alvis Saladin
    The Saladin is a six-wheeled armoured car built by Alvis, and fitted with a 76mm gun.Used extensively by the British Army, it replaced the AEC Armoured Car that had been in service since World War II.-History:...


    |
    | N/A
    | wheeled (retired)
    |----
    | Alvis Saracen
    Alvis Saracen
    The FV603 Saracen is a six-wheeled armoured personnel carrier built by Alvis and used by the British army. It became a recognisable vehicle as a result of its part in the policing of Northern Ireland.-History:...


    |
    | N/A
    | wheeled, (retired)
    |----
    | Daimler
    Daimler Motor Company
    The Daimler Motor Company Limited was an independent British motor vehicle manufacturer founded in London by H J Lawson in 1896, which set up its manufacturing base in Coventry. The right to the use of the name Daimler had been purchased simultaneously from Gottlieb Daimler and Daimler Motoren...

     Ferret
    Ferret armoured car
    The Ferret armoured car, also commonly called the Ferret Scout car, is a British armoured fighting vehicle designed and built for reconnaissance purposes. The Ferret was produced between 1952 and 1971 by the UK company, Daimler...


    |
    | N/A
    | wheeled, (retired)
    |----
    ! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Engineering Support Vehicles
    Combat engineering vehicle
    Military engineering vehicles are vehicles built for the construction work or for the transportation of combat engineers on the battlefield. These vehicles can range from civilian equipment to purpose built military vehicles....

     

    |----
    | VT-55
    |  Soviet Union
    | 16
    | Armoured recovery vehicle
    Armoured recovery vehicle
    An armoured recovery vehicle is a type of armoured fighting vehicle used to repair battle- or mine-damaged as well as broken-down armoured vehicles during combat, or to tow them out of the danger zone for more extensive repairs...


    |----
    | MT-55A
    |  Soviet Union
    | 8
    | Armoured vehicle-launched bridge
    Armoured vehicle-launched bridge
    An armoured vehicle-launched bridge is a combat support vehicle, sometimes regarded as a subtype of combat engineering vehicle, designed to assist militaries in rapidly deploying tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles across rivers. The AVLB is usually a tracked vehicle converted from a tank...


    |}

    Artillery

    ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Type
    ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Origin
    ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Quantity
    ! style="text-align: left; background: #aacccc;"|Notes
    |----
    ! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Rocket artillery
    Multiple rocket launcher
    A multiple rocket launcher is a type of unguided rocket artillery system. Like other rocket artillery, multiple rocket launchers are less accurate and have a much lower rate of fire than batteries of traditional artillery guns...


    |----
    | RM-70 Multiple rocket launcher
    |  Czechoslovakia
    | 30+
    | 122.4 mm Multiple rocket launcher
    |----
    | BM-21 Multiple rocket launcher
    BM-21
    The BM-21 launch vehicle , a Soviet truck-mounted 122 mm multiple rocket launcher, and a M-21OF rocket were developed in the early 1960s. BM stands for boyevaya mashina, ‘combat vehicle’, and the nickname means ‘hail’. The complete system with the BM-21 launch vehicle and the M-21OF rocket...


    |  Soviet Union
    | 5
    | 122.4 mm Multiple rocket launcher
    |----
    ! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Towed artillery
    Artillery
    Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...


    |----
    | Type 66 152 mm gun-howitzer
    |  Mainland China
    | 36
    | 152 mm gun-howitzer
    |----
    | Type 59 130mm field gun
    |  Mainland China
    | 12
    | 130 mm field gun
    |----
    | Type 60 122mm howitzer
    Type 60 howitzer
    The Type 60 122mm towed gun is the Soviet D-74 122mm gun produced by the Chinese under licence. Developed in the late 1950s, it provided direct/indirect fire for the PLA. It remains in service with reserve units in gun battalions attached to motorized infantry and armoured divisions...


    |  Mainland China
    | N/A
    | 122 mm howitzer
    |----
    | Ordnance QF 25 pounder
    Ordnance QF 25 pounder
    The Ordnance QF 25 pounder, or more simply, 25-pounder or 25-pdr, was introduced into service just before World War II, during which it served as the major British field gun/howitzer. It was considered by many to be the best field artillery piece of the war, combining high rates of fire with a...


    |
    | N/A
    | field guns - Ceremonial Gun Troop
    |----
    | Ordnance QF 75 mm
    Ordnance QF 75 mm
    The Ordnance QF 75 mm, abbreviated to OQF 75 mm, was a British tank-gun of the Second World War. It was used instead of the Ordnance QF 6 pounder , an anti-tank gun, to give better performance against infantry targets in a similar fashion to the 75 mm gun fitted to the American...


    |
    | N/A
    | field guns - Ceremonial Gun Troop
    |----
    ! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Mortars
    Mortar (weapon)
    A mortar is an indirect fire weapon that fires explosive projectiles known as bombs at low velocities, short ranges, and high-arcing ballistic trajectories. It is typically muzzle-loading and has a barrel length less than 15 times its caliber....


    |----
    | Type 86 (W86)
    |  Mainland China
    | 55
    | 120 mm towed mortar
    |----
    | Type 84 (W84)
    |  Mainland China
    | N/A
    | 82 mm mortar
    |----
    | Type 89
    |  Mainland China
    | N/A
    | 60 mm light mortar
    |----
    ! style="align: center; background: lavender;" colspan="7" | Weapon Locating Radar
    Weapon Locating Radar
    The BEL Weapon Locating Radar is a mobile artillery locating Phased array radar developed by India. This counter-battery radar is designed to detect and track incoming artillery and rocket fire to determine the point of origin for Counter-battery fire.The WLR has been jointly developed by DRDO's...


    |----
    | AN/TPQ-36 Firefinder Radar
    |  United States
    | N/A
    | Weapon Locating and Counter-battery Radar
    |----
    | SLC-2 Radar
    SLC-2 Radar
    The SLC-2 Radar is a counter-battery radar designed to accurately locate hostile artillery, rocket and ground-to-ground missile launchers immediately after enemy firing, and to support friendly artillery by providing guidance of counter-fire....


    |  Mainland China
    | N/A
    | Weapon Locating and Counter-battery Radar
    |----
    |}

    Infantry weapons

    Handguns
      Beretta
    Beretta
    Fabbrica d'Armi Pietro Beretta is an Italian firearms manufacturer. Their firearms are used worldwide for a variety of civilian, law enforcement, and military purposes. It is also known for manufacturing shooting clothes and accessories. Beretta is the oldest active firearms manufacturer in the...

     M9 Pistol
    M9 Pistol
    The Beretta M9, formally Pistol, Semiautomatic, 9mm, M9, is a 9×19mm Parabellum pistol of the United States military adopted in 1985. It is essentially a military specification Beretta 92F, later the 92FS....

      Glock 17
      Enfield revolver
    Enfield revolver
    Enfield Revolver is the name applied to two totally separate models of self-extracting British handgun designed and manufactured at the government-owned Royal Small Arms Factory in Enfield; initially the .476 calibre Revolver Enfield Mk I/Mk II revolvers , and later the .38/200 calibre Enfield No...

    Assault Rifles
      AK-47
    AK-47
    The AK-47 is a selective-fire, gas-operated 7.62×39mm assault rifle, first developed in the Soviet Union by Mikhail Kalashnikov. It is officially known as Avtomat Kalashnikova . It is also known as a Kalashnikov, an "AK", or in Russian slang, Kalash.Design work on the AK-47 began in the last year...

     Assault rifles
      Sa 58
    Sa 58
    The Vz. 58 is a 7.62mm assault rifle designed and manufactured in Czechoslovakia and accepted into service in the late 1950s as the 7,62 mm samopal vzor 58 , replacing the vz. 52 self-loading rifle and the 7.62x25mm Tokarev vz. 24 and vz. 26 submachine guns. The vz...

     Assault rifles
      Type 56 Assault rifles
      Type 81
    Type 81 Assault Rifle
    The Type 81 assault rifle was the principal automatic rifle used by the Chinese People's Liberation Army from the mid-1980s until 1995. It incorporates elements of the Dragunov Sniper Rifle, SKS, and AK series rifles in general looks...

     Assault rifles
      Heckler & Koch G3
    Heckler & Koch G3
    The G3 is a 7.62mm battle rifle developed in the 1950s by the German armament manufacturer Heckler & Koch GmbH in collaboration with the Spanish state-owned design and development agency CETME ....

     Assault rifles
      FN FNC
    FN FNC
    The FNC is a 5.56mm assault rifle developed by the Belgian arms manufacturer Fabrique Nationale of Herstal and introduced in the late 1970s.-Development:...

     Assault rifles (replaced the FN FAL
    FN FAL
    The Fusil Automatique Léger or FAL is a self-loading, selective fire battle rifle produced by the Belgian armaments manufacturer Fabrique Nationale de Herstal . During the Cold War it was adopted by many North Atlantic Treaty Organization countries, with the notable exception of the United States...

     as far
    back as in 1981)
      M16
    M16 rifle
    The M16 is the United States military designation for the AR-15 rifle adapted for both semi-automatic and full-automatic fire. Colt purchased the rights to the AR-15 from ArmaLite, and currently uses that designation only for semi-automatic versions of the rifle. The M16 fires the 5.56×45mm NATO...

     Assault rifles
      M4 Carbine
    M4 Carbine
    The M4 carbine is a family of firearms tracing its lineage back to earlier carbine versions of the M16, all based on the original AR-15 designed by Eugene Stoner and made by ArmaLite. It is a shorter and lighter variant of the M16A2 assault rifle, with 80% parts commonality.It is a gas-operated,...

      SAR-80
    SAR-80
    The Singapore Assault Rifle 80 is an indigenously built, conventional assault rifle from Singapore.-History and development:In the late 1960s, the Singapore Armed Forces adopted the AR-15 as their main service rifle...

     Assault rifles
      Type 95
    QBZ-95
    The QBZ-95 is an assault rifle manufactured by Arsenal 266, part of Norinco and Arsenal 296, under Jianshe Corp, China South for the People's Liberation Army, the armed forces of the People's Republic of China, Chinese People's Armed Police , and Chinese law enforcement. This weapon uses a...

     Assault rifles
    Sub-Machine guns
      H&K MP5
    Heckler & Koch MP5
    The Heckler & Koch MP5 is a 9mm submachine gun of German design, developed in the 1960s by a team of engineers from the German small arms manufacturer Heckler & Koch GmbH of Oberndorf am Neckar....

     Submachine Gun
    Submachine gun
    A submachine gun is an automatic carbine, designed to fire pistol cartridges. It combines the automatic fire of a machine gun with the cartridge of a pistol. The submachine gun was invented during World War I , but the apex of its use was during World War II when millions of the weapon type were...

    s
    Uzi Submachine Guns
      Sterling submachine gun
    Sterling submachine gun
    The Sterling submachine gun is a British submachine gun which was in service with the British Army from 1944 until 1994, when it was phased out with the introduction of the L85A1 assault rifle.-History:...

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    Sniper Rifles
      Accuracy International L96A1
    Accuracy International Arctic Warfare
    The Accuracy International Arctic Warfare rifle is a family of bolt-action sniper rifles designed and manufactured by the British company Accuracy International...

     Sniper Rifles
      Heckler & Koch PSG1
    Heckler & Koch PSG1
    The PSG1 is a semi-automatic rifle designed by the German company Heckler & Koch of Oberndorf am Neckar.-Development:...

     Sniper Rifles
      Dragunov Sniper Rifles
     Zastava M93 Black Arrow
    Zastava M93 Black Arrow
    The M93 Black Arrow is a 12.7mm or .50 caliber anti-materiel rifle developed and manufactured by Zastava Arms.The M93 Black Arrow is designed on the basis of the Mauser system, which was, during its one hundred years long combat history, proven to be one of the most accurate and reliable...

    Machine guns
      Type 80 GPMG
    General purpose machine gun
    A general-purpose machine gun is a multi-purpose weapon: it is a machine gun firing a full-power rifle cartridge and which can be used in a variety of roles, from a bipod- or tripod-mounted infantry support weapon to a helicopter door gun or a vehicle-mounted support weapon...

     (Chinese version of Russian PKM
    PK machine gun
    The PK is a 7.62 mm general-purpose machine gun designed in the Soviet Union and currently in production in Russia. The PK machine gun was introduced in the 1960s and replaced the SGM and RPD machine guns in Soviet service...

    )
      FN Minimi
    FN Minimi
    The Minimi is a Belgian 5.56mm light machine gun developed by Fabrique Nationale in Herstal by Ernest Vervier. First introduced in 1974, it has entered service with the armed forces of over thirty countries...

     General purpose machine gun
    General purpose machine gun
    A general-purpose machine gun is a multi-purpose weapon: it is a machine gun firing a full-power rifle cartridge and which can be used in a variety of roles, from a bipod- or tripod-mounted infantry support weapon to a helicopter door gun or a vehicle-mounted support weapon...

      FN MAG
    FN MAG
    The FN MAG is a Belgian 7.62 mm general-purpose machine gun, designed in the early 1950s at Fabrique Nationale by Ernest Vervier. It has been used by more than 80 countries, and it has been made under licence in countries such as Argentina, Egypt, India, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the...

     General purpose machine gun
      Type 56 LMG
    Light machine gun
    A light machine gun is a machine gun designed to be employed by an individual soldier, with or without an assistant, as an infantry support weapon. Light machine guns are often used as squad automatic weapons.-Characteristics:...

     (Chinese version of Russian RPD
    RPD
    The RPD is a 7.62mm light machine gun developed in the Soviet Union by Vasily Degtyaryov for the intermediate 7.62x39mm M43 cartridge. It was created as a replacement for the DP machine gun chambered for the 7.62x54mmR Mosin rifle round...

    )
      HK21 Belt-fed light machine gun
    Light machine gun
    A light machine gun is a machine gun designed to be employed by an individual soldier, with or without an assistant, as an infantry support weapon. Light machine guns are often used as squad automatic weapons.-Characteristics:...

    Grenade launchers
      Milkor MGL
    Milkor MGL
    The MGL is a lightweight 40 mm semi-automatic, 6-shot grenade launcher developed and manufactured in South Africa by Milkor Ltd. The MGL was demonstrated as a concept to the South African Defence Force in 1981. The operating principle was immediately accepted and subjected to a stringent...

     Grenade launcher
      HK 69 Breech-loading grenade launcher
    Grenade launcher
    A grenade launcher or grenade discharger is a weapon that launches a grenade with more accuracy, higher velocity, and to greater distances than a soldier could throw it by hand....

      M203
    M203 grenade launcher
    The M203 is a single shot 40 mm grenade launcher designed to attach to a rifle. It uses the same rounds as the older M79 break-action grenade launcher, which utilize the High-Low Propulsion System to keep recoil forces low. Though versatile, and compatible with many rifle models, the M203 was...

     Grenade launcher
    Rocket launchers
      RPO-A Shmel man-portable rocket launcher
    Shoulder-launched missile weapon
    A shoulder-fired missile, shoulder-launched missile or man-portable missile is a projectile fired at a target, small enough to be carried by a single person, and fired while held on one's shoulder...

      Type 69 RPG
    Type 69 RPG
    The Type 69 85mm rocket propelled grenade , made by Norinco, is a Chinese copy of the famous RPG-7 developed by the Soviet Union. First introduced in the early 1970s, the Type 69 RPG is a common individual anti-tank weapon in service with the PLA...

     rocket launchers (Chinese
    China
    Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

     version of RPG-7
    RPG-7
    The RPG-7 is a widely-produced, portable, unguided, shoulder-launched, anti-tank rocket-propelled grenade launcher. Originally the RPG-7 and its predecessor, the RPG-2, were designed by the Soviet Union, and now manufactured by the Bazalt company...

    )
    Anti-tank missiles
      Baktar-Shikan Anti-tank guided missile
    Anti-tank guided missile
    An anti-tank missile , anti-tank guided missile , anti-tank guided weapon or anti-armor guided weapon is a guided missile primarily designed to hit and destroy heavily-armored military vehicles....



    See also

    • Awards and decorations of the military of Sri Lanka
      Awards and decorations of the military of Sri Lanka
      Awards and decorations of the Sri Lankan Military are military orders, decorations and medals which recognize service and personal accomplishments while a member of the Sri Lankan armed forces...

    • Sri Lanka Military Academy
      Sri Lanka Military Academy
      The Sri Lanka Military Academy , commonly known simply as Diyatalawa, is the Sri Lanka Army's officer initial training centre located in the garrison town of Diyatalawa in the central highlands of Sri Lanka....

    • Sri Lankan Civil War
      Sri Lankan civil war
      The Sri Lankan Civil War was a conflict fought on the island of Sri Lanka. Beginning on July 23, 1983, there was an on-and-off insurgency against the government by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam , a separatist militant organization which fought to create an independent Tamil state named Tamil...

    • Rehabilitation Directorat, Sri Lanka Army
    • Millennium City incident
      Millennium City incident
      Millennium City incident refers to an incident happened in Millennium City housing scheme, Athurugiriya, Sri Lanka on 2 January 2002, leading to a national security crisis...


    Further reading

    • Army, Sri Lanka. (1st Edition - October 1999). Sri Lanka army: 50 years on, 1949-1999 ISBN 978-955-8089-02-6

    External links

    The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
     
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