The following tables present the ranks and insignia of the
Sri Lanka Army. The ranks are similar to the
British army officer ranks and the
other ranks.
At its formation in 1949, the Ceylon Army adopted the rank structures of the
British Army.
The highest rank in the Sri Lanka Army is
Field Marshal
Field marshal (or field-marshal, abbreviated as FM) is the most senior military rank, ordinarily senior to the general officer ranks. Usually, it is the highest rank in an army and as such few persons are appointed to it. It is considered as ...
, though the rank has no appointment in the army, it was first awarded in 2015 as an
honorary rank to
Sarath Fonseka for his war time service, the rank has been awarded for his whole life.
The highest rank of a serving officer is that of
Lieutenant General (
three-star rank) which is held by the
Commander of the Army. The rank of full general (
four-star rank) is given to the
Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), it is also awarded to the Commander of the Army on the day of his retirement (if the CDS is not appointed from the army). Commanders of the Army since the late 1980s have held the rank of
lieutenant general with the exception of
Sarath Fonseka and
Shavendra Silva who were promoted to full generals while serving as commanders of the army, on the other hand, Shavendra Silva got the duty of the Chief of Defence Staff simultaneously holding the appointment of commander of the army.
Officers
Other Ranks
Retired officer's rank
An officer of or above rank of captain when retired from service, may retain his/her rank and indicate that he/she is a retired officer with the use of the abbreviation (Rtd) immediately after his/her name.
See also
*
Star Insignia of Army officer vehicles (Sri Lanka)
Star Insignia of Army officer vehicles differ from each other starting from one star up until five stars. The first four stars should be granted to an officer in active duty while the fifth Star insignia can be wore by a retired officer. The only r ...
*
Uniforms of the Sri Lanka Army
The uniforms of the Sri Lanka Army currently exist in several categories ranging from ceremonial uniforms to combat dress (with full dress uniform).
General principles
Uniforms in the Sri Lanka Army originated from those of the British Army and t ...
References
Bibliography
* Army, Sri Lanka. (1st Edition - October 1999). ''"50 YEARS ON" - 1949–1999'',
Sri Lanka Army.
External links
Sri Lanka ArmyMinistry of Defence, Public Security, Law & Order - Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
{{Military ranks by country
Sri Lanka Army