Admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet, ...

Ravindra Chandrasiri Wijegunaratne, WV, RWP & Bar, RSP, VSV, USP, NI(M), ndc, psn, is a retired Sri Lankan naval officer, and former Chief of Defence Staff of the

Sri Lanka Armed Forces The Sri Lanka Armed Forces is the overall unified military of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka encompassing the Sri Lanka Army, the Sri Lanka Navy, and the Sri Lanka Air Force; they are governed by the Ministry of Defence (Sri Lank ...

. He has also served as the Commander of the Sri Lankan Navy,

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

Sri Lanka Navy ta, இலங்கை கடற்படை , image = Sri Lanka Naval Seal.png , image_size = 180px , caption = Emblem of Sri Lanka Navy , dates = , c ...

, the Director General of the Sri Lanka Coast Guard and held, at various times, four of the seven Naval Commands of the SLN. Wijegunaratne has also served as Director Naval Operations, and is a recipient of the Weerodara Vibhushanaya.

Education

Born in 1962, Wijegunaratne was educated at the

Royal College, Colombo Royal College, Colombo is a selective entry boys' school located in Cinnamon Gardens, Colombo, Sri Lanka. Started as a private school by Rev Joseph Marsh in 1835, it was established as the Colombo Academy by Sir Robert Wilmot-Horton in Janua ...

from 1969. At Royal College, he was a President's Scout,

Lance sergeant Lance sergeant (LSgt or L/Sgt) is an appointment in the armies of the Commonwealth and formerly also a rank in the United States Army. Commonwealth Lance-sergeant in the armies of the Commonwealth was an appointment given to a corporal so they ...

of the Herman Loos Cadet Platoon and a School Prefect in addition to representing the school in both hockey and basketball, as well as being an All-Island Junior Athletics Champion. He was the fourth Royalist to be appointed Commander of the SLN. Graduating in the same year, he enlisted in the Sri Lanka Navy on 1 November 1980 as an

officer cadet Officer Cadet is a rank held by military cadets during their training to become commissioned officers. In the United Kingdom, the rank is also used by members of University Royal Naval Units, University Officer Training Corps and University Air ...

as part of the 9th Intake at the

Naval and Maritime Academy Naval and Maritime Academy (NMA), Trincomalee, is the naval academy of the Sri Lanka Navy, and is located within SLN Dockyard, Trincomalee. It received university status in 2001 under the leadership of Commodore SR Samaratunga. History The Sri ...

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

. He completed officer training as a

Midshipman A midshipman is an officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Canada (Naval Cadet), Australia, Bangladesh, Namibia, New Zealand, South Afr ...

at both

and Dartmouth (where he was awarded 'Best International

, 1982') in 1982. He would go on to follow a

Sub-lieutenant Sub-lieutenant is usually a junior officer rank, used in armies, navies and air forces. In most armies, sub-lieutenant is the lowest officer rank. However, in Brazil, it is the highest non-commissioned rank, and in Spain, it is the second high ...

technical course and specialize in anti-submarine warfare in India, and followed a staff course at the

Pakistan Navy War College The Naval War College is a staff college providing training and education primarily to the mid-career officers of the Pakistan Navy as well as to a limited number of officers from Pakistan Air Force, Pakistan Army and various allied forces. It i ...

. In 1996 he gained a

BSc A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University ...

in War Studies from the

University of Karachi The University of Karachi ( sd, ; informally Karachi University, KU, or UoK) is a public research university located in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. Established in June 1951 by an act of Parliament and as a successor to the University of Sindh (whic ...

, and later graduated from the

National Defense University The National Defense University (NDU) is an institution of higher education funded by the United States Department of Defense, intended to facilitate high-level education, training, and professional development of national security leaders. As ...

( NESA) and

National Defence College, India The National Defence College, located in New Delhi, is the defence service training institute and highest seat of strategic learning for officers of the Defence Service and the Civil Services. This is a very prestigious course attended only b ...

(50th NDC Course - 2010). In 2010, he obtained an

MPhil The Master of Philosophy (MPhil; Latin ' or ') is a postgraduate degree. In the United States, an MPhil typically includes a taught portion and a significant research portion, during which a thesis project is conducted under supervision. An MPhil m ...

in Defence and Strategic Studies at the

University of Madras The University of Madras (informally known as Madras University) is a public university, public State university (India), state university in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. Established in 1857, it is one of the oldest and among the most prestigiou ...

. He is a Member of the

Nautical Institute The Nautical Institute (NI) is an international professional organisation for maritime professionals, based in the United Kingdom. It was established in 1971 and has the status of a company limited by guarantee and is registered with the Charity C ...

Naval career

Starting out as a

, Admiral Wijegunaratne gained early exposure to the Sri Lankan Civil War fighting alongside India's

MARCOS Marcos may refer to: People with the given name ''Marcos'' *Marcos (given name) Sports ;Surnamed * Dayton Marcos, Negro league baseball team from Dayton, Ohio (early twentieth-century) * Dimitris Markos, Greek footballer * Nélson Marcos, Portugue ...

in 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 ...

's 1987

Operation Pawan Operation Pawan ( hi, कार्यवाही पवन ''Kãryvãhi Pavan'', lit. "Operation Wind") was the code name assigned to the operation by the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) to take control of Jaffna from the Liberation Tigers of ...

. Having been promoted to the rank of

Lieutenant Commander Lieutenant commander (also hyphenated lieutenant-commander and abbreviated Lt Cdr, LtCdr. or LCDR) is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander. The corresponding rank i ...

, he founded Sri Lanka's elite Special Boat Squadron (SBS) in 1993, building on the work done by

Lieutenant commander Lieutenant commander (also hyphenated lieutenant-commander and abbreviated Lt Cdr, LtCdr. or LCDR) is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander. The corresponding rank i ...

Shanthi Bahar. Wijegunaratne led the SBS during 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 ...

and held its command twice through his career, once in 1993-1994 and again in 1999-2000. As a result of his specialization and work in the SBS, he is regarded as an expert in asymmetric naval warfare and small boat operations. Between June 2005 and March 2006, he served as

Commanding Officer The commanding officer (CO) or sometimes, if the incumbent is a general officer, commanding general (CG), is the officer in command of a military unit. The commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitu ...

of the SLN's flagship at that time, SLNS Sayura. He was also instrumental in forming the Sri Lanka Navy Marines. Promoted to the rank of

Commodore Commodore may refer to: Ranks * Commodore (rank), a naval rank ** Commodore (Royal Navy), in the United Kingdom ** Commodore (United States) ** Commodore (Canada) ** Commodore (Finland) ** Commodore (Germany) or ''Kommodore'' * Air commodore ...

, and then to

Rear Admiral Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to a major general and air vice marshal and above that of a commodore and captain, but below that of a vice admiral. It is regarded as a two star "admiral" rank. It is often regarde ...

in 2009, Wijegunaratne has held several appointments and commands within the

Sri Lanka Navy ta, இலங்கை கடற்படை , image = Sri Lanka Naval Seal.png , image_size = 180px , caption = Emblem of Sri Lanka Navy , dates = , c ...

: *Director Naval Operations *Director Naval Weapon Systems *Director Special Forces *Director Maritime Surveillance *Commandant of the

Flag officer A flag officer is a commissioned officer in a nation's armed forces senior enough to be entitled to fly a flag to mark the position from which the officer exercises command. The term is used differently in different countries: *In many countr ...

Commanding Naval Fleet *Director General Services *Commander, Eastern Naval Command *Commander, Northern Naval Command *Commander, Western Naval Command *Commander, Southern Naval Command As Director Naval Operations in 2007, he oversaw the SLN's efforts to halt

Sea Tiger The Sea Tigers (Tamil: கடற்புலிகள் ''Kaţaṛpulikaḷ'') was the naval wing of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam during the Sri Lankan Civil War. It was founded in 1984. The Sea Tigers had a number of small but effectiv ...

arms smuggling, leading to the destruction of what are thought to be the

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

's four final floating armouries. He was appointed the Chief of Staff of the

Sri Lanka Navy ta, இலங்கை கடற்படை , image = Sri Lanka Naval Seal.png , image_size = 180px , caption = Emblem of Sri Lanka Navy , dates = , c ...

on 7 July 2014, and promoted to Vice Admiral and appointed Commander of the Navy on 11 July 2015. On 22 February 2016, President

Maithripala Sirisena Maithripala Yapa Sirisena ( si, පල්ලෙවත්‍ත ගමරාළලාගේ මෛත්‍රීපාල යාපා සිරිසේන; ta, பல்லேவத்த கமராளலாகே மைத்திரி� ...

granted him a six-month service extension as commander. On 18 August 2017, Wijegunaratne was promoted to the rank of

and appointed Chief of Defense Staff in light of his upcoming retirement from active service. He assumed duties as CDS on 22 August 2017. Wijegunaratne has also held a diplomatic post as First Secretary and

Defense Attaché Defense or defence may refer to: Tactical, martial, and political acts or groups * Defense (military), forces primarily intended for warfare * Civil defense, the organizing of civilians to deal with emergencies or enemy attacks * Defense indust ...

at the Sri Lankan High Commission in

New Delhi New Delhi (, , ''Naī Dillī'') is the capital of India and a part of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament House ...

between 2001 and 2005. He has been a guest lecturer at the Center for Irregular Warfare and Armed Groups, US

Naval War College The Naval War College (NWC or NAVWARCOL) is the staff college and "Home of Thought" for the United States Navy at Naval Station Newport in Newport, Rhode Island. The NWC educates and develops leaders, supports defining the future Navy and associat ...

and the

. bnt.jpg, Midshipman Wijegunaratne at Dartmouth Training22.jpg, Overseeing a series of diving missions training2.jpg, Taking part in an infiltration exercise PACOM Amphibious Leaders Symposium 2016 160714-M-MR595-0279.jpg, At the

USPACOM United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) is a unified combatant command of the United States Armed Forces responsible for the Indo-Pacific region. Formerly known as United States Pacific Command (USPACOM) since its inception in 1947, t ...

Amphibious Leaders Symposium 2016

Honors

His decorations include Weerodara Vibhushanaya,

Rana Wickrama Padakkama The Rana Wickrama Padakkama (RWP, Combat Gallantry Medal) ( Sinhala: රණ වික්‍රම පදක්කම) is awarded to Sri Lankan military service personnel serving in both the regular- and volunteer forces as a reward for: Bars ...

twice,

Rana Sura Padakkama Rana Sura Padakkama (RSP, Combat Excellence Medal) ( Sinhala: රණ ශූර පදක්කම ''rana śūra padakkama'') is awarded to servicepersons of all ranks of the regular and volunteer forces of the Military of Sri Lanka for individual ...

for gallantry;

Vishista Seva Vibhushanaya The Vishista Seva Vibhushanaya (VSV, Distinguished Service Decoration) ( Sinhala: විශිෂ්ට සේවා විභූෂණය ''viṣiṣta sēvā vibhūṣaṇaya'') is awarded to senior officers of the Military of Sri Lanka in reco ...

and

Uttama Seva Padakkama The Uttama Seva Padakkama (USP, Eminent Service Medal) ( Sinhala: උත්තම සේවා පදක්කම ''uṭṭama sēvā padakkama'') is presented to all ranks of the regular forces of the Sri Lankan military for: Award process Th ...

for meritorious service, and the Surface Warfare Badge. Weerodara vibhushanaya

Sri Lanka Navy 50th Anniversary Medal ribbon bar

Sri Lanka Armed Services Long Service Medal ribbon bar

50th Independence Anniversary Commemoration Medal

Eastern Humanitarian Operations Medal ribbon bar

Northern Humanitarian Operations Medal ribbon bar

North and East Operations Medal ribbon bar

Vadamarachchi Operation Medal ribbon bar

Riviresa Campaign Services Medal ribbon bar

On 13 February 2019, Admiral Wijegunaratne was awarded the

Nishan-e-Imtiaz The Nishan-e-Imtiaz (; ) is one of the state organized Civil decorations of Pakistan, civil decorations of Pakistan. It is awarded for achievements towards world recognition for Pakistan or outstanding service for the country. However, the awa ...

(Military) Medal by the President of Pakistan in Islamabad.

Personal life

Wijegunaratne is married to Yamuna De Saram and has one son, Satyajith. He has been a keen sportsman since his childhood, and is a qualified diver and parachutist; a parachuting accident in 2001 led to Wijegunaratne breaking both legs. In addition to playing hockey and basketball at school, he has represented the SLN in rugby, and rowing/sailing, both of which he has received Sri Lanka Navy

Colours Color (American English) or colour (British English) is the visual perceptual property deriving from the spectrum of light interacting with the photoreceptor cells of the eyes. Color categories and physical specifications of color are associ ...

for. He is an expert marksman, and has held the Chair of the Sri Lanka Rifle Association and the

Sri Lanka Navy ta, இலங்கை கடற்படை , image = Sri Lanka Naval Seal.png , image_size = 180px , caption = Emblem of Sri Lanka Navy , dates = , c ...

Golf Club.

Controversy

Wijegunaratne was alleged to have threatened and assaulted a journalist during an SLN intervention during a violent dockworkers' strike at the

Hambantota Port The Hambantota International Port (used to known as the Magampura Mahinda Rajapaksa Port or the Magam Ruhunupura Mahinda Rajapaksa Port) is a deep water port in Hambantota, Sri Lanka. It was opened on 18 November 2010, and is Sri Lanka's second ...

in December 2016

Honors

He was awarded the

the highest of civil honor given by the Government of Pakistan in 2019.Pakistan confers highest military award to Admiral Wijegunaratne
/ref>

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wijegunaratne, Ravindra Commanders of the Navy (Sri Lanka) Sri Lankan admirals Sinhalese military personnel Sri Lankan male divers Sri Lankan military attachés Special Boat Squadron (Sri Lanka) officers Alumni of Royal College, Colombo Naval and Maritime Academy graduates Graduates of Britannia Royal Naval College National Defense University alumni National Defence College, India alumni University of Madras alumni University of Karachi alumni Recipients of Nishan-e-Imtiaz Living people 1962 births Indian Peace Keeping Force

Education

Naval career

Honors

Personal life

Controversy

Honors

See also

References