Chief of the Defence Staff (Sri Lanka)
Encyclopedia
The Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) is the highest ranking military officer in the Sri Lankan Armed Forces. The Chairman outranks all respective heads of each service branch but does not have operational command authority over them or their service branches, however overseas inter service corporations and the implementation of joint operations of the Sri Lankan military. Coordination of inter service in joint operations is handled by the Office of the Chief of Defence Staff
formally known as the Joint Operations Headquarters. The CDS is the Chairman of a Committee made up of service commanders and is a member of the National Security Council. Air Chief Marshal
Roshan Goonatilake
currently functions as the Chief of Defence Staff in addition to his duties as the Commander of the Air Force
.
The post could be traced back to post of General Officer Commanding
(GOC) of the Joint Operations Command when General
T. I. Weerathunga was first appointed to it November 2, 1985. The Joint Operations Command was created in 1985 due to the need of co-ordination of operations among the tri-services and the police with the escalation of the Sri Lankan Civil War
. The post itself was created in 1999 replacing the civilian post of chief of the Joint Operations Bureau which had existed briefly in 1999. Its powers expanded under the Chief of Defence Staff Act No. 35 of 2009.
In recent years, the Chief of the Defence Staff was appointed to the highest rank in the branch of the Sri Lanka armed forces to which he belonged (equivalent to a US "four-star
" rank) being a General, an Admiral
or an Air Chief Marshal
. Accordingly to the new Bill, the President of Sri Lanka
appoints to the post of Chief of Defence Staff any persons presently serving as Commander of the Army, Navy or the Air Force, to function under the direction, supervision and control of the Permanent Secretary
to the Ministry of Defence
.
Office of the Chief of Defence Staff
The Office of the Chief of Defence Staff is the Sri Lanka Armed Forces operational level headquarters of the Chief of the Defence Staff , responsible for coordinating joint armed force's operations. However the respective service commands have much autonomy for their deployments. It was formally...
formally known as the Joint Operations Headquarters. The CDS is the Chairman of a Committee made up of service commanders and is a member of the National Security Council. Air Chief Marshal
Air Chief Marshal
Air chief marshal is a senior 4-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
Roshan Goonatilake
Roshan Goonatilake
Air Chief Marshal Roshan Goonetilleke, RWP & BAR, VSV, USP, ndc, psc, SLAF was the Commander of the Air Force and is the Chief of the Defence Staff of Sri Lanka. Air Chief Marshal Goonetilleke has served in the Sri Lankan Air Force for more than 33 years...
currently functions as the Chief of Defence Staff in addition to his duties as the Commander of the Air Force
Commander of the Air Force (Sri Lanka)
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 Harsha Abeywickrama since 2011...
.
The post could be traced back to post of 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...
(GOC) of the Joint Operations Command when General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
T. I. Weerathunga was first appointed to it November 2, 1985. The Joint Operations Command was created in 1985 due to the need of co-ordination of operations among the tri-services and the police with the escalation of 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 post itself was created in 1999 replacing the civilian post of chief of the Joint Operations Bureau which had existed briefly in 1999. Its powers expanded under the Chief of Defence Staff Act No. 35 of 2009.
In recent years, the Chief of the Defence Staff was appointed to the highest rank in the branch of the Sri Lanka armed forces to which he belonged (equivalent to a US "four-star
4 star rank
Four-star rank is a term used to describe a very senior commander in many of the armed services holding a rank described by the NATO OF-9 code. The term is also used by some armed forces which are not NATO members...
" rank) being a General, an Admiral
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
or an Air Chief Marshal
Air Chief Marshal
Air chief marshal is a senior 4-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
. Accordingly to the new Bill, the President of Sri Lanka
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...
appoints to the post of Chief of Defence Staff any persons presently serving as Commander of the Army, Navy or the Air Force, to function under the direction, supervision and control of the Permanent Secretary
Permanent Secretary
The Permanent secretary, in most departments officially titled the permanent under-secretary of state , is the most senior civil servant of a British Government ministry, charged with running the department on a day-to-day basis...
to the Ministry of Defence
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....
.
Responsibilities
- Assist in providing for the strategic direction of the armed forces
- Development of doctrine for the joint employment of the armed forces
- Facilitation of preparation of strategic plans for the armed forces
- Co-ordination of matters relating to intelligence as between the armed forces;
- To undertake assessments to determine the capabilities of the armed forces in comparison with those of their potential
- Preparation of operational plans for the armed forces
General Officer Commanding, Joint Operations Command
- GeneralGeneralA general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
T. I. Weerathunga - GeneralGeneralA general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
S. Cyril Ranatunge - Lieutenant GeneralLieutenant GeneralLieutenant 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....
Hamilton Wanasinghe - Air MarshalAir MarshalAir marshal is a three-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
Walter Fernando- Incomplete
Chiefs of the Defence Staff
- General R. De S. Daluwatte
- General L. P. Balagalle
- AdmiralAdmiralAdmiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
D.W.K Sandagiri - Air Chief MarshalAir Chief MarshalAir chief marshal is a senior 4-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
Donald Perera - GeneralGeneralA general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Sarath FonsekaSarath FonsekaGardihewa Sarath Chandralal Fonseka, known as Sarath Fonseka is a former commander and General of the Sri Lanka Army and a former candidate for President of Sri Lanka. As Commander of the Army, he played an instrumental role in ending the 26 year Sri Lankan Civil War in 2009, defeating the... - Air Chief MarshalAir Chief MarshalAir chief marshal is a senior 4-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
Roshan GoonatilakeRoshan GoonatilakeAir Chief Marshal Roshan Goonetilleke, RWP & BAR, VSV, USP, ndc, psc, SLAF was the Commander of the Air Force and is the Chief of the Defence Staff of Sri Lanka. Air Chief Marshal Goonetilleke has served in the Sri Lankan Air Force for more than 33 years...
See also
- Office of the Chief of Defence StaffOffice of the Chief of Defence StaffThe Office of the Chief of Defence Staff is the Sri Lanka Armed Forces operational level headquarters of the Chief of the Defence Staff , responsible for coordinating joint armed force's operations. However the respective service commands have much autonomy for their deployments. It was formally...
- National Security Council of Sri Lanka
- Commander of the ArmyCommander 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...
- Commander of the NavyCommander of the Navy (Sri Lanka)The Commander of the Navy is the professional head of the Sri Lanka Navy. The current Commander of the Navy is Vice Admiral D.W.S. Dissanayake...
- Commander of the Air ForceCommander of the Air Force (Sri Lanka)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 Harsha Abeywickrama since 2011...