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; 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 se ...
armoured personnel carriers. 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 tank, armoured and anti-aircraft troops. In case of mobilization, the ...
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 t ...
,
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 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 used ...
. The squadron expanded its number of personal and increased its training. In 1957, the squadron moved to
Ampara on flood relief duties and in December moved to
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 t ...
in Colombo, which became its regimental headquarters. In 1958, the squadron was deployed to counter the
communal riots 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](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/af/Sri_Lankan_phased_out_BTR_152_on_display_in_front_of_a_Army_camp_IMG_20160113_122910.jpg)
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, ...
armoured cars in May and ten
Soviet
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nation ...
BTR-152
The BTR-152 is a six-wheeled Soviet Union, Soviet armored personnel carrier (БТР, from Бронетранспортер/''BTR (vehicle), Bronetransporter'', literally "armored transporter"), built on the chassis and drive train of a ZIS-151 uti ...
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.
Ac ...
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 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. Following the deployment of the
Indian Peace Keeping Force 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 mo ...
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
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 ...
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 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 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 f ...
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.
...
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 First Battle of El ...
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 tanks and
T 55 ARVs brought down from the Czechoslovakia. In 1992, SLAC deployed twenty
Type 86 infantry fighting vehicles. The two T-55A tanks of the 4th Armoured Regiment captured by the
LTTE 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 ve ...
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 o ...
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
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 ...
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 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
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 se ...
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,
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 ...
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 Armoured vehicle-launched bridge
Infantry fighting vehicles
*
BMP-3 Infantry fighting vehicle
*
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 ...
Infantry fighting vehicle
*
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 ve ...
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 ...
*
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, ...
(retired)
*
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 (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 carriers
*
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 ...
Armoured personnel carrier
*
Type 90/92 Armoured personnel carrier
*
Type 63 (YW531) Armoured personnel carriers
*
BTR-152
The BTR-152 is a six-wheeled Soviet Union, Soviet armored personnel carrier (БТР, from Бронетранспортер/''BTR (vehicle), Bronetransporter'', literally "armored transporter"), built on the chassis and drive train of a ZIS-151 uti ...
Armoured personnel carrier (retired)
*
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 ...
(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 ...
D. S. Attygalle,
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, or ...
, 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 and father of the Sri Lanka Armoured Corps
*
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 ...
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 ...
,
VSV, SLAC - former
GOC,
Joint Operations Command and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence
*
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 ...
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
*
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 ...
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 ...
,
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 ...
Y. Balaretnarajah,
VSV,
USP, ndc, SLAC- Former
Chief of Staff 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
Chief of Staff of the Army and Cammandant Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force.
*Major General G.A Chandrasiri
RWP,
USP, mdc, psc SLAC- Former
Chief of Staff of the Army and Commander,
Northern Command.
*Major General
C.H. Fernando,
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 Nation ...
.
*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,
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 ...
and Commandant,
Sri Lanka Military Academy.
*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 a ...
(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 January ...
, RWP, RSP, USP, ndc, psc - Vice Chancellor of the (KDU).
* Major General Ubaya Madawela
Major General Ubaya Medawela RSP, VSV, USP, ndu, psc, MSc was a Sri Lankan army general; he was the Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army.
Education
Ubaya received his education from Nalanda College Colombo (where he was a Senior Cadet) al ...
, 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, 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, Sri Lankan Embassy, Washington DC.
Alliances
* - 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards
Order of precedence
See also
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 ...
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