Commander of the Air Force (Sri Lanka)

Commander of the Sri Lanka Air Force
Incumbent
Air Marshal Kapila Jayampathy
since 15 September 2016
Sri Lanka Air Force
Member of National Security Council
Reports to Ministry of Defence
Chief of Defence Staff
Seat Air Force Headquarters, Kumaran Rutnam road, Colombo 2
Appointer The President
Term length Not fixed
Extendable
Constituting instrument Air Force Act, No. 41 of 1949
Formation 2 March 1951 (1951-03-02)
as Commander of the Royal Ceylon Air Force
First holder Group Captain Graham Bladon (as Commander RCyAF)
Deputy Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Air Force

The Commander of the Air Force is the professional head of the Sri Lanka Air Force. The current Commander of the Air Force is Air Marshal Kapila Jayampathy. It is a position comparable to that of Chief of the Air Staff of the Royal Air Force. The Chief of Staff of the Air Force acts as a deputy commander within the command structure.

In the recent past all serving air force commanders have been of the rank of air marshal, promoted to the honorary rank of air chief marshal on retirement or on promotion to Chief of Defence Staff (CDS).

List of commanders (including Commanders of the Royal Ceylon Air Force)

No. Portrait Rank Name Appointment Left Office Unit Decorations
1Air CommodoreGraham Bladon5 May 195024 October 1958CBE
2Air Vice MarshalJohn Barker24 October 195812 November 1962CB, CBE, DFC
3Air Vice MarshalRohan Amerasekera12 November 196231 December 1970No. 2 Squadron SLAFDFC & BAR
4Air Chief MarshalDeshamanya Paddy Mendis1 January 19711 November 1976No. 2 Squadron SLAF
No. 5 Squadron SLAF		IDC, PSC, FBIM QFI
5Air Chief MarshalHarry Goonatilake1 November 197630 April 1981No. 2 Squadron SLAFUSP
6Air Chief MarshalDick Perera1 May 198130 April 1985No. 2 Squadron SLAFVSV, NDC, PSC
7Air Chief MarshalAndibuduge Fernando1 May 198531 July 1990No. 4 Squadron SLAFVSV, NDC, PSC
8Air Chief MarshalMakalandage Gunawardena1 August 199016 February 1994No. 2 Squadron SLAFVSV, NDC, PSC
9Air Chief MarshalOliver Ranasinghe17 February 19945 March 1998No. 4 Squadron SLAFRWP, VSV, USP, NDC, PSC
10Air Chief MarshalJayalath Weerakkody6 March 199815 July 2002No. 2 Squadron SLAF
No. 4 Squadron SLAF		RWP, VSV, USP, NDC, PSC, QFI
11Air Chief MarshalDonald Perera16 July 200211 June 2006No. 2 Squadron SLAFVSV, USP, NDC, PSC
12Air Chief MarshalRoshan Goonatilake11 June 200627 February 2011No. 4 Squadron SLAFRWP & BAR, VSV, USP, NDC, PSC
13Air Chief MarshalHarsha Abeywickrama27 February 201128 February 2014No. 5 Squadron SLAFRWP & BAR, RSP, VSV, USP, RCDS, PSC, QFI
14Air Chief MarshalKolitha Gunathilake28 February 201415 June 2015No. 2 Squadron SLAFRWP & BAR, RSP, VSV, USP, NDC, PSC, QFI
15Air Chief MarshalGagan Pulasthi Bulathsinghala16 June 201514 September 2016No. 4 Squadron SLAFRWP, RSP, USP, NDC, PSC
16Air MarshalKapila Jayampathy15 September 2016presentNo. 4 Squadron SLAFWWV, RWP, RSP

Notes

See also

References

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