The Sri Lanka Armoured Corps (SLAC) provides the armour capability of the

Sri Lanka Army ta, இலங்கை இராணுவம் , image = File:Sri Lanka Army Logo.png , image_size = 180px , caption = Emblem of the Sri Lanka Army , start_date ...

, with vehicles such as the T-55AM2, and

type 80/88 main battle tank The Type 80 () and the Type 88 () are a family of Chinese second-generation main battle tanks (MBTs). They are also known as the ZTZ80 and ZTZ88. History In the 1970s China's primary MBT in service was the Type 59, a copy of the T-54 medium t ...

s; the BMP

infantry fighting vehicle An infantry fighting vehicle (IFV), also known as a mechanized infantry combat vehicle (MICV), is a type of armoured fighting vehicle used to carry infantry into battle and provide direct-fire support. The 1990 Treaty on Conventional Armed Forc ...

; and the

BTR-80 The BTR-80 (russian: бронетранспортёр, bronyetransportyor, literally "armoured transporter") is an 8×8 wheeled amphibious armoured personnel carrier (APC) designed in the USSR. It was adopted in 1985 and replaced the previous ...

, and

WZ551 The WZ-551 is a Chinese wheeled infantry fighting vehicle family. The name WZ-551 actually covers two families of vehicles with the official designations in the People's Liberation Army (PLA) of Type 90 and Type 92. Over 3,000 WZ-551s are in ser ...

armoured personnel carrier An armoured personnel carrier (APC) is a broad type of armoured military vehicle designed to transport personnel and equipment in combat zones. Since World War I, APCs have become a very common piece of military equipment around the world. Acc ...

s. It comprises six regular armoured regiments, a

volunteer Volunteering is a voluntary act of an individual or group freely giving time and labor for community service. Many volunteers are specifically trained in the areas they work, such as medicine, education, or emergency rescue. Others serve ...

regiment, and a regimental band. It has an independent

Armoured Brigade The Armoured Brigade ( fi, Panssariprikaati) is a Finnish Army training unit located in Parolannummi, near Hämeenlinna, in southern Finland. The brigade specialises in training armoured and anti-aircraft troops. In case of mobilization, the Finni ...

and is headquartered at

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. History The base gains its name from the ...

Colombo Colombo ( ; si, කොළඹ, translit=Koḷam̆ba, ; ta, கொழும்பு, translit=Koḻumpu, ) is the executive and judicial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka by population. According to the Brookings Institution, Colombo me ...

History

Formation

The

Ceylon Army ta, இலங்கை இராணுவம் , image = File:Sri Lanka Army Logo.png , image_size = 180px , caption = Emblem of the Sri Lanka Army , start_date ...

was established in 1949. Under Prime Minister

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

Sir John Kotelawala General Sir John Lionel Kotelawala ( si, ශ්‍රිමත් ජෝන් ලයනල් කොතලාවල; 4 April 1897 – 2 October 1980) was a Sri Lankan statesman, who served as the 3rd Prime Minister of Ceylon (Sri Lanka) fro ...

, the Government of Ceylon decided on the need to add armor to support infantry elements of the newly established regular army. To this effect a cavalry arm was considered and the 1st Reconnaissance Squadron was established on 1 October 1955 under the command of

Major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

D. S. Attygalle General Deshamanya Don Sepala Attygalle, (14 October 1921 – 15 January 2001) was a Sri Lankan senior army officer, civil servant and diplomat. The longest serving Commander of the Sri Lankan Army (1967–1977), he went on to serve as the Perm ...

at the

Echelon Barracks Echelon Barracks was a former military barracks situated in Colombo Fort, Colombo. It was occupied by the newly formed Ceylon Army following independence. History Built during the late nineteenth century as headquarters of the British Army Garr ...

. Squadron moved to Ridiyagama for training with

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

advisers from the Queen's Dragoons Guards received four

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

Ferret unturreted scout cars along with twenty

BSA M20 The BSA M20 was a British motorcycle made by Birmingham Small Arms Company (BSA) at their factory in Small Heath, Birmingham. Although initially viewed as a near failure by the War Office in 1936, the M20 evolved into one of the longest servin ...

with side cars that were armed with

Bren light machine gun The Bren gun was a series of light machine guns (LMG) made by Britain in the 1930s and used in various roles until 1992. While best known for its role as the British and Commonwealth forces' primary infantry LMG in World War II, it was also use ...

. The squadron expanded its number of personal and increased its training. In 1957, the squadron moved to

Ampara Ampara ( si, අම්පාර, ta, அம்பாறை) is the main town of Ampara District, governed by an Urban Council. It is located in the Eastern Province, Sri Lanka, about east of Colombo and approximately south of Batticaloa. Hi ...

on flood relief duties and in December moved to

in Colombo, which became its regimental headquarters. In 1958, the squadron was deployed to counter the

communal riots Religious violence covers phenomena in which religion is either the subject or the object of Violence, violent behavior. All the religions of the world contain narratives, symbols, and metaphors of violence and war. Religious violence is viol ...

and on 15 December 1958 it was expanded to a

formation reconnaissance regiment The Formation Reconnaissance Regiment is one of two organisations currently provided by cavalry regiments of the British Army. Until recently, it was known as the Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment. Formation reconnaissance regiments, as the name ...

with two recce squadrons and had increased its fleet with BSA M21 motorcycles, eight Ferret Mk II Scout Cars and two

Daimler Armoured Car The Daimler Armoured Car was a successful British armoured car design of the Second World War that continued in service into the 1950s. It was designed for armed reconnaissance and liaison purposes. During the postwar era, it doubled as an inter ...

s. The 1st Reconnaissance Regiment became allied to and inherited the traditions of Queen's Dragoons Guards and it became the Ceylon Armoured Corps.Michael K. Cecil - Sri Lanka’s Military: The Search For A Mission

1971 Insurrection

Sri Lankan phased out BTR 152 on display in front of a Army camp IMG 20160113 122910

The 1st Recce Regiment was deployed on several occasions in the 1950s and 1960s on flood relief and internal security operations. It was deployed for counter-insurgency operations in Kurunegala and Anuradhapura districts under the command of Lieutenant Colonel

Cyril Ranatunga General S. Cyril Ranatunga, VSV (19 February 1930 – 16 June 2021) was a Sri Lanka Army officer. He served as Secretary of Defence, General Officer Commanding, Joint Operations Command and Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army during the 1980s ...

during the 1971 Insurrection against the JVP. In 1971, the regiment received twelve British

Alvis Saladin The FV601 Saladin is a six-wheeled armoured car developed by Crossley Motors and later manufactured by Alvis. Designed in 1954, it replaced the AEC Armoured Car in service with the British Army from 1958 onward. The vehicle weighed 11 tonnes, o ...

armoured cars in May and ten

Soviet The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

BTR-152 The BTR-152 is a six-wheeled Soviet armored personnel carrier (БТР, from Бронетранспортер/'' Bronetransporter'', literally "armored transporter"), built on the chassis and drive train of a ZIS-151 utility truck. It entered servi ...

armored personnel carrier An armoured personnel carrier (APC) is a broad type of armoured military vehicle designed to transport personnel and equipment in combat zones. Since World War I, APCs have become a very common piece of military equipment around the world. Acc ...

s (APCs) in November to supplement its counter-insurgency operations with a third squadron. When Sri Lanka became a republic in 1972, the CAC became the Sri Lanka Armoured Corps. Following the insurrection, the regiment deployed a saber squadron to provide security for the Criminal Justice Commission from 1973 to 1976. A forth squadron was raised in 1974. The first volunteer (

reserve Reserve or reserves may refer to: Places * Reserve, Kansas, a US city * Reserve, Louisiana, a census-designated place in St. John the Baptist Parish * Reserve, Montana, a census-designated place in Sheridan County * Reserve, New Mexico, a US vi ...

) unit of the SLAC, the 2nd (Volunteer) Regiment, Sri Lanka Armoured Corps was formed in 1979 under the command of Lt. Col Eustace Jayasekara with troops from the

Ceylon National Guard The Ceylon National Guard (CNG) was a former Volunteer regiment of the Sri Lanka Army that existed from 1963 to 1980. The CNG was formed in 1962 as part of the reforms to the Ceylon Volunteer Force in the Ceylon Army following the 1962 Ceylonese c ...

Civil War

With the escalation of the Sri Lankan civil war, three saber squadrons were deployed in the northern and eastern provinces of the country, to provide fire support for infantry and for the protection of road convoys. The forth squadron was deployed in Colombo for the defense of the capital. The Armoured Corps Training Centre (ACTC) was established on 1 January 1984 at Kalattewa,

Anuradhapura Anuradhapura ( si, අනුරාධපුරය, translit=Anurādhapuraya; ta, அனுராதபுரம், translit=Aṉurātapuram) is a major city located in north central plain of Sri Lanka. It is the capital city of North Central ...

. The regiment received several

Alvis Stalwart The Stalwart, formally classified by the British Army as Truck, High Mobility Load Carrier (HMLC), 5 Ton, 6 x 6, Alvis/Stalwart and informally known by servicemen as the Stolly, and by former RCT as the Stally, is a highly mobile amphibious m ...

amphibious vehicle An amphibious vehicle (or simply amphibian), is a vehicle that is a means of transport viable on land as well as on or under water. Amphibious vehicles include amphibious bicycles, ATVs, cars, buses, trucks, railway vehicles, combat vehicles an ...

s in 1985 and thirty two

Alvis Saracen The FV603 Saracen is a six-wheeled armoured personnel carrier designed and produced by Alvis since 1952. It has been used by a variety of operators around the world, and is still in use in secondary roles in some countries. The Saracen became ...

APCs in 1986. With the Saracens the SLAC was able to allocate two Saracens per troop providing assault troops to provide close combat support in the form of

mechanized infantry Mechanized infantry are infantry units equipped with armored personnel carriers (APCs) or infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) for transport and combat (see also mechanized force). As defined by the United States Army, mechanized infantry is di ...

. In the 1980s the regiment supported all major military operations, notably

Vadamarachchi Operation Operation Liberation also known as the Vadamarachchi Operation was the military offensive carried out by the Sri Lankan Armed Forces in May and June 1987 to recapture the territory of Vadamarachchi in the Jaffna peninsula from the LTTE (Tam ...

. Following the deployment of the

Indian Peace Keeping Force Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) was the Indian military contingent performing a peacekeeping operation in Sri Lanka between 1987 and 1990. It was formed under the mandate of the 1987 Indo-Sri Lankan Accord that aimed to end the Sri Lankan ...

in the North and East provinces, the regiment deployed a saber squadron each in

Jaffna Jaffna (, ) is the capital city of the Northern Province of Sri Lanka. It is the administrative headquarters of the Jaffna District located on a peninsula of the same name. With a population of 88,138 in 2012, Jaffna is Sri Lanka's 12th most ...

and

Kilinochchi Kilinochchi ( ta, கிளிநொச்சி, translit=Kiḷinocci; si, කිලිනොච්චි, translit=Girānika) is the main town of Kilinochchi District, Northern Province of Sri Lanka. Kilinochchi is situated at the A9 road so ...

, while it deployed the remaining two squadrons in

and

Gampaha Gampaha (Sinhala: ගම්පහ ; Tamil: கம்பஹா ) is an urban city in Gampaha District, Western Province, Sri Lanka. It is situated to the north-east of the capital Colombo. It is the sixth largest urban area in Western Province, ...

as the

1987–1989 JVP insurrection The 1987–1989 JVP insurrection, also known as the 1988–1989 revolt or the JVP troubles, was an armed revolt in Sri Lanka, led by the Marxist–Leninist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna, against the Government of Sri Lanka. The 1987–1989 insurr ...

started in the south of the island. In November 1988, the 3rd Reconnaissance Regiment was raised with Saladins, Saracens, Ferrets and a Stalwart. On 15 December 1988, the Armoured Brigade was formed under the command of Brigadier

Y. Balaretnarajah Major General Y. Balaretnarajah, VSV, USP, ndc is a Sri Lankan army officer. He had served as Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army, Commandant of the Volunteer Force and Commander - Jaffna Security Forces. He has commanded the 1 Division, Arm ...

who became the first

Armoured Armour (British English) or armor (American English; see spelling differences) is a covering used to protect an object, individual, or vehicle from physical injury or damage, especially direct contact weapons or projectiles during combat, or fr ...

Brigade Commander A brigade is a major tactical military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute a division. Br ...

bring under it the 1st, 3rd Reconnaissance Regiments and the ACTC. Its expansion was limited since the Government of Sri Lanka face difficulties in precuring spares and new military equipment from its traditional suppliers in the United Kingdom and Singapore due to pressure from Western countries. The US government approved the sale of

Cadillac Gage Textron Marine & Land Systems, formerly Cadillac Gage, is an American military contractor that manufactures armored vehicles, turrets, advanced marine craft, surface effects ships, and other weapon systems. It is owned by Textron, and was formed i ...

armored cars without turrets and guns and the British government's refusal to supply spare parts for the Alvis Saladins and Ferret armoured cars. The SLAC received 10 Type 63 (YW531) APC from China in 1988. The 2nd (Volunteer) Regiment was transferred to the

Sri Lanka Light Infantry The Sri Lanka Light Infantry (SLLI) 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 and five volunteer battalions, and is headquartered at the Panagoda Cantonment, ...

as its 5th (Volunteer) battalion in 1989. Three saber squadrons from the two regiments were deployed for the first amphibious landings made by the army in

Operation Balavegaya Operation Balavegaya (Operation Power force) was a combined military operation launched by the Sri Lankan military in Jaffna, the largest amphibious assault in its history. Operation Balavegaya was launched in response to the siege of Elephant ...

to break the siege on Elephant Pass. The siege on Elephant Pass made it clear that the civil war had shifted from an insurrection into a conventional war. The army looked for new sources of heavier weaponry and found it in China and Czechoslovakia. It looked for tracked vehicles for better cross country movements and larger caliber guns. In 1991, Sri Lanka Armoured Corps received from China twenty Type 85 light tanks, ten Type 90 APCs, command vehicles and a Type 86 armoured recovery vehicle which were assigned to the 3rd Reconnaissance Regiment replacing the British armoured cars. That year the SLAC introduced

main battle tank A main battle tank (MBT), also known as a battle tank or universal tank, is a tank that fills the role of armor-protected direct fire and maneuver in many modern armies. Cold War-era development of more powerful engines, better suspension sys ...

s with the formation of its first tank regiment, the 4th Armoured Regiment at Clappenburg in

Trincomalee Trincomalee (; ta, திருகோணமலை, translit=Tirukōṇamalai; si, ත්‍රිකුණාමළය, translit= Trikuṇāmaḷaya), also known as Gokanna and Gokarna, is the administrative headquarters of the Trincomalee Dis ...

equipped with

T-55A The T-54 and T-55 tanks are a series of Soviet main battle tanks introduced in the years following the Second World War. The first T-54 prototype was completed at Nizhny Tagil by the end of 1945.Steven Zaloga, T-54 and T-55 Main Battle Tanks ...

medium tank A medium tank is a classification of tanks, particularly prevalent during World War II which represented a compromise between the mobility oriented light tanks and the armour and armament oriented heavy tanks. A medium tank's classification is ...

s and T 55 ARVs brought down from the Czechoslovakia. In 1992, SLAC deployed twenty Type 86

s. The two T-55A tanks of the 4th Armoured Regiment captured by the

LTTE The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE; ta, தமிழீழ விடுதலைப் புலிகள், translit=Tamiḻīḻa viṭutalaip pulikaḷ, si, දෙමළ ඊළාම් විමුක්ති කොටි, t ...

in the

Battle of Pooneryn The Battle of Pooneryn (LTTE code-named ''Operation Thavalai Paachchal (Frog Leap)''), was a battle between the militant Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE or Tamil Tigers) and the Sri Lankan military during the Sri Lankan Civil War for ...

in November 1993. One of these destroyed by the air force and the other was re-captured at the end of the war.. The 5th Regiment raised in 1994 as an infantry role and converted to an armored role as the 5th Reconnaissance Regiment with the arrival of Russian sixteen

BMP-1 The BMP-1 is a Soviet amphibious tracked infantry fighting vehicle, in service 1966–present. BMP stands for ''Boyevaya Mashina Pyekhoty 1'' (russian: link=no, Боевая Машина Пехоты 1; БМП-1), meaning "infantry fighting ...

IFVs, followed by Chinese thirty Type 63 II APCs and a Czech T 54 AVLB bridge-layer. Many of the SLAC units deployed in the

Operation Riviresa Operation Riviresa (Operation Sunrays), was a combined military operation launched by the Sri Lankan Armed Forces in Jaffna. Starting on 17 October 1995, the primary objective of the operation was the capture of the city of Jaffna and rest of ...

in 1995 and became the first units enter Jaffna. The 6th Regiment was raised in January 1997 and was initially deployed in an infantry role. In 1998, thirty three

APCs and BTR-80 A IFVs were added to the 'A' vehicle fleet shared between the 1st, 3rd, 6th recce regiments and were used in

Operation Jayasikurui Operation Jayasikurui (''Certain Victory'' in Sinhala), was a Sri Lankan military operation launched on 13 May 1997, it lasted until 1999, when it was called off. The operation was initially launched for 6 months but cancelled after 18 month ...

. In May 1998, the 7th Battalion,

Sri Lanka National Guard The Sri Lanka National Guard (SLNG) is the largest regiment in the Sri Lanka Army. It is a volunteer regiment currently made up of 20 battalions coming under the Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force. History The number of battalions was gradually ...

was transferred as the SLAC as the 7th (Volunteer) Regiment in an infantry role. In 1999, the 8th Regiment was raised as a reinforcement regiment in an infantry role. In 1998 the SLAC was presented with the President's Standard in recognition of the service it has rendered. In 2000, Czech T-55 AM II MBTs,

BMP-2 The BMP-2 (''Boyevaya Mashina Pekhoty'', , literally "combat machine/vehicle (of the) infantry") is an amphibious infantry fighting vehicle introduced in the 1980s in the Soviet Union, following on from the BMP-1 of the 1960s. Development hist ...

BMP-3 The BMP-3 is a Soviet and Russian infantry fighting vehicle, successor to the BMP-1 and BMP-2. The abbreviation BMP stands for ''boevaya mashina pehoty'' (, literally "infantry combat vehicle"). Production history The design of the BMP-3 ('' O ...

IFVs were added followed by the BMP-2 command vehicles in 2002. The regiments under went reorganizing with new equipment, the 4th Armoured Regiment was reorganized in 2001 with three squadrons of T-55 AM II; 3rd Reconnaissance Regiment received one squadron of T-55A and the 1st Reconnaissance Regiment phased out its old British AFVs and was fully equipped with BTR 80s and BTR 80A. With the hostilities resuming in 2006, SLAC units deployed in offensive operations on all fronts. Its 4th Armoured Regiment lost six tanks in the key Battle of Jaffna. The 6th recce regiment was disbanded in February 2007 with its personal and equipment transferred to the newly formed

Mechanized Infantry Regiment The Mechanized Infantry Regiment (MIR) is a mechanized infantry regiment of the Sri Lanka Army. It is made up of four regular battalions and a volunteer battalion. Establish in 2007 by Lt. Gen. Sarath Fonseka its battalions are equipped with Type ...

. In August 2007 a new 6th Reinforcement Regiment was raised followed by the 10th Reinforcement Regiment was raised in August 2008. In 2009 more Chinese

APCs were added and the 3rd Reconnaissance Regiment was re-designated as the 3rd Armoured Regiment as it was converted to a tank regiment. The army was negotiating the purchase of twenty Al Khalids from Pakistan when the war ended. Following end of the war, the 9th and 10th reinforcement regiments were disbanded and amalgamated with the 8th regiment in 2012.

Units

Operations and administration

* Armored Brigade * Regimental Center * SLAC regimental band

Regular Army

*1st Reconnaissance Regiment SLAC *3rd Armoured Regiment SLAC (Formed on 16 November 1988 at Rock House Camp, Colombo) *4th Armoured Regiment SLAC (Formed on 24 September 1991 at Rock House camp, first ever Tank Regiment of SLA) *5th Reconnaissance Regiment SLAC (Formed on 06 January 1994 at Rock House Camp) *6th ( RFT) Regiment SLAC *8th (RFT) Regiment SLAC (Disbanded) (Formed on 30th July 1998 at Vasavilan) *9th (RFT) Regiment SLAC (Disbanded) (Formed on 21 January 2008 and disbanded on 1 April 2012) *10th (RFT) Regiment SLAC (Disbanded) (Formed on 28 August 2008 and disbanded on 1 April 2012)

Volunteer Force

*2nd(V) Regiment SLAC (Formed on 1 January 1979 and disbanded on 15 August 1987 to form 5 (V) Sri Lanka Light Infantry) *7th(V) Regiment SLAC (Converted from 7 Sri Lanka National Guard on 22 May 1998)

Armoured Corps Training Centre

The Armoured Corps Training Centre (ACTC) was established in 1984 at the army camp at Kalattewa,

to train tradesmen needed to operate its fleet of AFV. Its programs includes; * Young officers course * Recruit training course * Tank commanders/ Troop sergeants course * Basic tank drivers course * B Vehicle course * Gunner operators course * Clerks course * NCOs leadership course * BTR drivers course * Logistic course * MT Document course * Cpl to Sgt promotion course * T 55 Tank Driver intensive course * T 55 Tank Gnr/Opr intensive course * Class 1 diver course * Class 1 operator course

Equipment

Main battle tank A main battle tank (MBT), also known as a battle tank or universal tank, is a tank that fills the role of armor-protected direct fire and maneuver in many modern armies. Cold War-era development of more powerful engines, better suspension sys ...

s * T-55AM2 * ZTZ88

Light tank A light tank is a tank variant initially designed for rapid movements in and out of combat, to outmaneuver heavier tanks. It is smaller in size with thinner armor and a less powerful main gun, tailored for better tactical mobility and ease of ...

s * Type 85 light tank

Armoured recovery vehicle An armoured recovery vehicle (ARV) is typically a powerful tank or armoured personnel carrier (APC) chassis modified for use during combat for military vehicle recovery (towing) or repair of battle-damaged, stuck, and/or inoperable armoured f ...

s * VT-55 Armoured recovery vehicle * BMP-MTP Armoured recovery vehicle * BREM-K Armoured recovery vehicle

Armoured vehicle-launched bridge An armoured vehicle-launched bridge (AVLB) is a combat support vehicle, sometimes regarded as a subtype of military engineering vehicle, designed to assist militaries in rapidly deploying tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles across gap-t ...

s *

MT-55A The MT-55A ( sk, Mostný tank) is an armoured vehicle-launched bridge (AVLB) tank, manufactured by Závody ťažkého strojárstva Martin, ZŤS Martin in Slovakia. The AVLB is based on a T-54/T-55, T-55A medium tank chassis, with the turret detach ...

Armoured vehicle-launched bridge

Infantry fighting vehicle An infantry fighting vehicle (IFV), also known as a mechanized infantry combat vehicle (MICV), is a type of armoured fighting vehicle used to carry infantry into battle and provide direct-fire support. The 1990 Treaty on Conventional Armed Forc ...

s *

Infantry fighting vehicle *

Infantry fighting vehicle * Type 89 Armored fighting vehicle * Type 86 (WZ501) Armored fighting vehicles * Type 85 Armored fighting vehicle

Armoured cars Armored (or armoured) car or vehicle may refer to: Wheeled armored vehicles * Armoured fighting vehicle, any armed combat vehicle protected by armor ** Armored car (military), a military wheeled armored vehicle * Armored car (valuables), an arm ...

(retired) *

s (retired) *

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. It was widely ...

s (retired)

Armoured personnel carrier An armoured personnel carrier (APC) is a broad type of armoured military vehicle designed to transport personnel and equipment in combat zones. Since World War I, APCs have become a very common piece of military equipment around the world. Acc ...

s *

Armoured personnel carrier * Type 90/92 Armoured personnel carrier * Type 63 (YW531) Armoured personnel carriers *

Armoured personnel carrier (retired) *

(retired)

Notable members

General A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...

Deshamanya Deshamanya ( si, දේශමාන්‍ය, translit=Dēshamāṉya; ta, தேசமான்ய, translit=Tēcamāṉya; Pride of the Nation) is the second-highest national honour of Sri Lanka awarded by the Government of Sri Lanka as a ...

LVO The Royal Victorian Order (french: Ordre royal de Victoria) is a dynastic order of knighthood established in 1896 by Queen Victoria. It recognises distinguished personal service to the British monarch, Canadian monarch, Australian monarch, o ...

, SLAC - former Commander of the Army,

Permanent Secretary A permanent secretary (also known as a principal secretary) is the most senior Civil Service (United Kingdom), civil servant of a department or Ministry (government department), ministry charged with running the department or ministry's day-to-day ...

of the

Ministry of Defence {{unsourced, date=February 2021 A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in states ...

and father of the Sri Lanka Armoured Corps *

, VSV, SLAC - former GOC, Joint Operations Command and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence *

Jagath Jayasuriya General Jagath Jayasuriya, VSV, USP is a retired senior Sri Lanka Army officer; he was the Chief of Defence Staff of the Sri Lanka Armed Forces and Commander of the Sri Lankan Army. During the closing stages of the Sri Lankan Civil War, h ...

, VSV, USP, psc, SLAC - former Chief of the Defence Staff and Commander of the Army *

Rohan Daluwatte General Rohan De Silva Daluwatte, WWV, RWP, RSP, VSV, USP (9 May 1941 – 27 August 2018) was a senior officer of the Sri Lanka Army. He served as Commander of the Sri Lanka Army and Chief of the Defence Staff. Following his retirement fr ...

, RWP, RSP, VSV, USP, SLAC - Former Commander of the Army. *General

Cecil Waidyaratne General L. D. E. Cecil Waidyaratne, VSV, USP (16 May 1938 – 18 December 2001) was a Sri Lanka Army officer. He was 12th Commander of the Sri Lankan Army and a former Sri Lankan Ambassador to Thailand. Education Educated at St. Benedict's C ...

, VSV, USP, ndc, psc SLAC - Former Commander of the Army. *

Lieutenant General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) 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 ...

Denzil Kobbekaduwa Lieutenant General Denzil Lakshman Kobbekaduwa, RWP, RSP, VSV, USP ( si, ඩෙන්සිල් ලක්ෂ්මණ් කොබ්බෑකඩුව; 27 July 1940 – 8 August 1992) was a senior Sri Lankan Army officer who served in t ...

RWP, RSP, VSV, USP, rcds, psc, SLAC - Former General Officer Commanding Northern Sector & one of the greatest generals in modern Sri Lanka. *

Major General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

, VSV, USP, ndc, SLAC- Former

Chief of Staff The title chief of staff (or head of staff) identifies the leader of a complex organization such as the armed forces, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a principal staff officer (PSO), who is the coordinator of the supporti ...

of the Army, Commandant Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force, GOC, 1 Division and Commander, Security Forces, Jaffna. *Major General DVSY Kulathunge USP, RSP, ndc, psc, SLAC- Former

of the Army and Cammandant Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force. *Major General G.A Chandrasiri RWP, USP, mdc, psc SLAC- Former

of the Army and Commander, Northern Command. *Major General

C.H. Fernando Major General C.H. Fernando, VSV (1930 – 2020) was a senior Sri Lanka Army officer, who was the former Director of Operations, General Staff; GOC, 2 Division; Commander, Northern Command.VSV, SLAC - former Director Operations,

General Staff A military staff or general staff (also referred to as army staff, navy staff, or air staff within the individual services) is a group of officers, enlisted and civilian staff who serve the commander of a division or other large military un ...

; GOC, 2 Division; Commandant, Army Training Centre; Commander, Northern Command. *Major General T Paranagama VSV, USP, SLAC - Former GOC, 1 Division, GOC, 3 Division; and Commander Security Forces Headquarters - Wanni (SF HQ (W)), *Major General

T. N. De Silva Major General T. N. De Silva, USP (1939 - ) is a former Sri Lanka Army officer, who was the former General Officer Commanding, 21 Division;, Commandant, Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force, Brigade Commander Armoured Brigade and Director, National ...

, USP, psc, SLAC - former Commandant, Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force; GOC, 21 Division, Brigade Commander Armoured Brigade and Director,

National Cadet Corps National Cadet Corps may refer to: *Bangladesh National Cadet Corps *National Cadet Corps (Ghana) *National Cadet Corps (India) *National Cadet Corps (Pakistan) *National Cadet Corps (Singapore) *National Cadet Corps (Sri Lanka) The National ...

. *Major General P.A Karunatilleke RWP- Former Deputy Overall Operations Commander and Commander Northern Command. *Major General D. Kalupahana, RSP, USP, psc, SLAC - former GOC, 3 Division; GOC, 2 Division; Director Operations,

and Commandant,

Sri Lanka Military Academy The Sri Lanka Military Academy () (SLMA or SLMA Diyatalawa), commonly known simply as Diyatalawa, is the Sri Lanka Army's training centre where officer cadets are trained for getting commission. It is located in the garrison town of Diyatalawa ...

. *Major General N.A.Ranasinghe, RSP, VSV, USP, ndc, psc, Isc, SLAC - Former General Officer Commanding (GOC) 56 Division; Director Operations and Plans at the Joint Operations Headquarters, Commandant, Sri Lanka Military Academy, Commandant, Army Command and Staff College, Commandant, Defence Services Command and Staff College, First Commanding Officer of 5th Regiment, Sri Lanka Armoured Corps. *Major General Nandana Udawatta, RSP, USP, SLAC - former

Security Forces Headquarters – Mullaitivu Security Forces Headquarters – Mullaitivu (SFHQ-MLT) is a regional command of the Sri Lanka Army, that is responsible for the operational deployment and command all army units stationed in Mullaitivu District, this includes several divisions and ...

(SFHQ-MLT) and former GOC, 59 DivisionTwo Security Forces Headquarters established in Mullaitivu, Kilinochchi
*Major General

Milinda Peiris Major General (retd) Milinda Peiris RWP RSP USP VSV LOM ndc psc was the Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army. Major General Milinda was appointed as Vice Chancellor (VC) of the General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University (KDU) on Januar ...

, RWP, RSP, USP, ndc, psc - Vice Chancellor of the

General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University (KDU) ( Sinhala: ජෙනරාල් ශ්‍රිමත් ජෝන් කොතලාවල ආරක්ෂක විශ්ව විද්‍යාලය ''General Sir John Kotelawala'' ''Ar ...

(KDU). * Major General

Ubaya Madawela Major-general (Sri Lanka), Major General Ubaya Medawela Rana Sura Padakkama, RSP, Vishista Seva Vibhushanaya, VSV, Uttama Seva Padakkama, USP, New Zealand Defence College, ndu, Psc (Military)#Sri_Lanka, psc, MSc was a Sri Lankan army general; he ...

, USP, psc - Security Force Commander (West) and former Military Spokesman *

Brigadier Brigadier is a military rank, the seniority of which depends on the country. In some countries, it is a senior rank above colonel, equivalent to a brigadier general or commodore, typically commanding a brigade of several thousand soldiers. In ...

Dennis Hapugalle Brigadier S. Dennis N. Hapugalle, VSV (1930–2000) was a Sri Lankan military officer, former Chief of Civil Defence and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Internal Security. Education Hapugalle received his educated at Royal College, Colombo. Mi ...

, VSV, psc, SLAC - former Chief of Civil Defence and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Internal Security. *Brigadier M. H. Gunaratne, VSV, psc, SLAC - former Commander Security Forces Headquarters - East (SF HQ (E)), Commander, Task Force I and Task Force III and Commandant, Army Training Centre *Brigadier R. M. Jayasinghe, USP, psc, SLAC - former Director Armour; brigade commander, armored brigade; brigade commander, 212 Brigade and the first

Military attaché A military attaché is a military expert who is attached to a diplomatic mission, often an embassy. This type of attaché post is normally filled by a high-ranking military officer, who retains a commission while serving with an embassy. Opport ...

, Sri Lankan Embassy, Washington DC.

Alliances

* -

1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards (QDG) is a regiment in the Royal Armoured Corps of the British Army. Nicknamed The Welsh Cavalry, the regiment recruits from Wales and the bordering English counties of Cheshire, Herefordshire, and Shropshire, and ...

Order of precedence

References

External links and sources

Sri Lanka Army

Sri Lanka Armoured Corps
{{Sri Lanka Army Regiments * Cavalry regiments of Sri Lanka Nationstate armoured warfare branches Military units and formations established in 1955 1955 establishments in Ceylon Indian Peace Keeping Force