Harsha Abeywickrama
Encyclopedia
Air Marshal
Harsha Abeywickrema, RWP
, RSP
, VSV
, USP
, rcds, psc
, qfi
, SLAF is a Sri Lankan fighter pilot
and the current Commander of the Sri Lankan Air Force
.
where he excelled both in studies and in sports. He has gain a MA
in International Security from Kings College, University of London
and a MSc
(Defense Studies) in Management from the General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University
.
Abeywickrema is a graduate of the Royal College of Defence Studies
and the Air Command and Staff College
, Air University. He has undergone a number of training courses and is a qualified flying instructor
.
in the General Duties Pilot Branch in 1980. After successful completion of Flying Training he was commissioned as a Pilot Officer
in 1982.
During his career he has commanded the No. 1 Flying Training Wing
and was the first commanding officer of the No. 5 "Jet" Squadron
when it was reestablished in 1991 under his command following the acquisition of F-7 and F-5
fighters from china, it was the country's first fighter
squadron. He was one of the first pilots to qualify in F-7s in 1991 and IAI Kfir
s in 1996. Thereafter he served as Commanding Officer of SLAF Palaly, Base Commander of SLAF China Bay
, SLAF Anuradhapura & SLAF Rathmalana following which he became the Zonal Commander East and Chief Instructor of Air Wing of the Defence Services Command and Staff College
.
In his stint as the Director Air Operations at SLAF Colombo
, Air Force Headquarters he spearheaded air operations that brought about the successful conclusion of the Sri Lankan Civil War
in 2009. He was also the Director Logistics. Thereafter he served as Deputy Chief of Staff of the Air Force until he was promoted as Commander of the Air Force.
Air Marshal Abeywickrema has been awarded the gallantry medals Rana Wickrama Padakkama
and Rana Sura Padakkama
for individual acts of bravery, the service medals Vishista Seva Vibhushanaya
(VSV), Uttama Seva Padakkama
and Sri Lanka Armed Services Long Service Medal
.
Air Marshal
Air marshal is a three-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
Harsha Abeywickrema, RWP
Rana Wickrama Padakkama
The Rana Wickrama Padakkama medal and bar are presented to Sri Lankan military officers and other ranks as a reward for individual or allied acts of heroism in facing the enemy and performed of their own accord.-How medal awarded:It is ordained that the decoration shall be granted to all ranks of...
, RSP
Rana Sura Padakkama
The Rana Sura Padakkama is a medal presented to members of all ranks of the Military of Sri Lanka for individual and/or associated acts of heroism in facing the enemy and performed of their own accord. The decoration is presented by the President of Sri Lanka...
, VSV
Vishista Seva Vibhushanaya
The Vishista Seva Vibhushanaya medal and bar are presented to Sri Lankan senior military officers of three services, given that their loyal service is of not less than 25 years and possess a perfectly flawless record of moral and military conduct, will be appropriate for the award...
, USP
Uttama Seva Padakkama
The Uttama Seva Padakkama is presented to all ranks of the Regular Forces of the Sri Lankan military for valuable service and dedication to duty with the outstanding ability, merit and excellent conduct, given that they count not less than 15 years continuous and uninterrupted service and possess...
, rcds, psc
Psc
psc were the initials which appeared in the service lists denoting that a British Army officer had attended the Staff College, Camberley or, prior to 1956 and Pakistani independence, the Command and Staff College, Quetta...
, qfi
Qfi
QFI may refer to:*QFI , was supermarket chain based in San Francisco*Qualified Flying Instructor in the British Armed Forces*Quiz Foundation of India...
, SLAF is a Sri Lankan fighter pilot
Fighter pilot
A fighter pilot is a military aviator trained in air-to-air combat while piloting a fighter aircraft . Fighter pilots undergo specialized training in aerial warfare and dogfighting...
and the current Commander of the Sri Lankan 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...
.
Education
Educated at Royal College ColomboRoyal College Colombo
The Royal College of Colombo was founded in January 1835 in Colombo. It is considered to be the leading Public School in Sri Lanka...
where he excelled both in studies and in sports. He has gain a MA
Master of Arts
A Master of Arts is a high academic degree offered at many universities in Europe and the United States.A Master of Arts, Magister Artium, or Magister in Artibus may also refer to:...
in International Security from Kings College, University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
and a MSc
MSC
- Computers:* Mario Strikers Charged* Microsoft Common Console Document, file for the Microsoft Management Console* Microelectronics Support Centre* Microsoft Corporation* MIDI Show Control* Message Sequence Chart...
(Defense Studies) in Management from the 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...
.
Abeywickrema is a graduate of the Royal College of Defence Studies
Royal College of Defence Studies
The Royal College of Defence Studies is an internationally-renowned institution and component of the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom...
and the Air Command and Staff College
Air Command and Staff College
The Air Command and Staff College is located at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama and is the United States Air Force's intermediate professional military education school. It prepares field grade and equivalent officers of all U.S...
, Air University. He has undergone a number of training courses and is a qualified flying instructor
Qualified Flying Instructor
Qualified Flying Instructor is a term mainly used in the UK and commonwealth Military, Army, Navy and Air Force for a person who has passed the appropriate course before being allowed to instruct in an aircraft. In the USA and elsewhere, the equivalent term is "IP"...
.
Career
Abeywickrema joined the Sri Lanka Air Force as an Officer CadetOfficer Cadet
Officer cadet is a rank held by military and merchant navy cadets during their training to become commissioned officers and merchant navy officers, respectively. The term officer trainee is used interchangeably in some countries...
in the General Duties Pilot Branch in 1980. After successful completion of Flying Training he was commissioned as a Pilot Officer
Pilot Officer
Pilot officer is the lowest commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. It ranks immediately below flying officer...
in 1982.
During his career he has commanded the No. 1 Flying Training Wing
No. 1 Wing SLAF
No. 1 Flying Training Wing currently based at SLAF China Bay, carries out basic pilot training of the Sri Lanka Air Force. Its the oldest flying formation in the SLAF.-History:...
and was the first commanding officer of the No. 5 "Jet" Squadron
No. 5 Squadron SLAF
No. 5 "Jet" Squadron is a squadron of the Sri Lanka Air Force. It currently operates in both air defence and ground attack role with F-7 Skybolts from SLAF Katunayake.-History:...
when it was reestablished in 1991 under his command following the acquisition of F-7 and F-5
Shenyang J-5
The Shenyang J-5 , originally designated Dongfeng-101 - , and also Type 56 before being designated J-5 in 1964, is a Chinese-built single-seat jet interceptor and fighter aircraft derived from the Soviet Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17. The J-5 was exported as the F-5...
fighters from china, it was the country's first fighter
Fighter aircraft
A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...
squadron. He was one of the first pilots to qualify in F-7s in 1991 and IAI Kfir
IAI Kfir
The Israel Aircraft Industries Kfir is an Israeli-built all-weather, multirole combat aircraft based on a modified Dassault Mirage 5 airframe, with Israeli avionics and an Israeli-made version of the General Electric J79 turbojet engine.-Background:...
s in 1996. Thereafter he served as Commanding Officer of SLAF Palaly, Base Commander of SLAF China Bay
SLAF China Bay
SLAF China Bay is a Sri Lanka Air Force base located at China Bay, Trincomalee. The airbase is situated close to the coast and has a long runway which is believed to be able to handle most modern aircraft...
, SLAF Anuradhapura & SLAF Rathmalana following which he became the Zonal Commander East and Chief Instructor of Air Wing of 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...
.
In his stint as the Director Air Operations at SLAF Colombo
SLAF Colombo
SLAF Colombo is the Sri Lanka Air Force headquarters in Colombo. In this capacity it has the offices of the Commander of the Air Force, Chief of Staff, the Board of Management and Board of Directors of the Sri Lanka Air Force...
, Air Force Headquarters he spearheaded air operations that brought about the successful conclusion 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...
in 2009. He was also the Director Logistics. Thereafter he served as Deputy Chief of Staff of the Air Force until he was promoted as Commander of the Air Force.
Air Marshal Abeywickrema has been awarded the gallantry medals Rana Wickrama Padakkama
Rana Wickrama Padakkama
The Rana Wickrama Padakkama medal and bar are presented to Sri Lankan military officers and other ranks as a reward for individual or allied acts of heroism in facing the enemy and performed of their own accord.-How medal awarded:It is ordained that the decoration shall be granted to all ranks of...
and Rana Sura Padakkama
Rana Sura Padakkama
The Rana Sura Padakkama is a medal presented to members of all ranks of the Military of Sri Lanka for individual and/or associated acts of heroism in facing the enemy and performed of their own accord. The decoration is presented by the President of Sri Lanka...
for individual acts of bravery, the service medals Vishista Seva Vibhushanaya
Vishista Seva Vibhushanaya
The Vishista Seva Vibhushanaya medal and bar are presented to Sri Lankan senior military officers of three services, given that their loyal service is of not less than 25 years and possess a perfectly flawless record of moral and military conduct, will be appropriate for the award...
(VSV), Uttama Seva Padakkama
Uttama Seva Padakkama
The Uttama Seva Padakkama is presented to all ranks of the Regular Forces of the Sri Lankan military for valuable service and dedication to duty with the outstanding ability, merit and excellent conduct, given that they count not less than 15 years continuous and uninterrupted service and possess...
and Sri Lanka Armed Services Long Service Medal
Sri Lanka Armed Services Long Service Medal
The Sri Lanka Armed Services Long Service Medal shall be granted to All regular officers and other ranks of the Sri Lanka Army, Sri Lanka Navy and Sri Lanka Air Force, who complete 12 years continuous service and whose character and conduct have been irreproachable and who are recommended by their...
.