Sri Lanka Army
The Sri Lanka Army (Sinhala: ශ්රී ලංකා යුද්ධ හමුදාව, romanized: Śrī Laṃkā yuddha hamudāva; Tamil: இலங்கை இராணுவம், romanized: Ilankai iraṇuvam) is the oldest and largest of the Sri Lanka Armed Forces. Established as the Ceylon Army in 1949, it was renamed when Sri Lanka became a republic in 1972. In 2010, the Army had approximately 200,000 regular personnel, between 20,000 and 40,000 volunteer personnel and 18,000 National Guardsmen and comprises 13 divisions, one air-mobile brigade, one commando brigade, one special forces brigade, one independent armored brigade, three mechanized infantry brigades and over 40 infantry brigades.
| Sri Lanka Army | |
|---|---|
| ශ්රී ලංකා යුද්ධ හමුදාව (Sinhala) இலங்கை இராணுவம் (Tamil) | |
Emblem of the Sri Lanka Army | |
| Founded | October 10, 1949 |
| Country | Sri Lanka |
| Type | Army |
| Role | Land warfare |
| Size | 200,783 personnel |
| Part of | Sri Lanka Armed Forces |
| Headquarters | Army Headquarters, Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte |
| Motto(s) | Latin: Pro Patria "For the Fatherland" |
| Colours | Gold, blue and orange |
| Anniversaries | Army Day: 10 October |
| Engagements | 1971 JVP Insurrection 1987–89 JVP Insurrection Sri Lankan Civil War |
| Decorations | Military awards and decorations of Sri Lanka |
| Website | www |
| Commanders | |
| Commander-in-Chief | Ranil Wickremesinghe (President of Sri Lanka) |
| Commander of the Army | Lieutenant General Vikum Liyanage |
| Chief of Staff of the Army | Major General W.H.K.S Peiris |
| Deputy Chief of Staff of the Army | Major General G.R.R.P Jayawardena |
| Notable commanders | |
| Insignia | |
| Flag | |
| Presidential Colour | |
| Sri Lanka Army |
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| Components |
| History |
| Equipment |
| Leadership and ranks |
The Army Headquarters is situated in Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte; Commander of the Army is the highest appointment in the army who commands the army and is assisted by the Chief of Staff of the Army and Deputy Chief of Staff of the Army. The Commander-in-Chief of the Sri Lanka Armed Forces is the President of Sri Lanka, who heads the National Security Council through the Ministry of Defence, which is charged with formulating, executing defence policy and procurements for the armed forces.