| Sri Lanka Army | |
|---|---|
| ශ්රී ලංකා යුද්ධ හමුදාව (Sinhala) இலங்கை இராணுவம் (Tamil) | |
 Emblem of the Sri Lanka Army | |
| Founded | 1881 |
| Country |  Sri Lanka |
| Type | Army |
| Role | Land warfare |
| Size | 150,000 personnel[1] |
| 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[2] |
| 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 | Anura Kumara Dissanayake (President of Sri Lanka) |
| Commander of the Army | Lieutenant General Vikum Liyanage |
| Chief of Staff of the Army | Major General Dinesh Nanayakkara |
| Deputy Chief of Staff of the Army | Major General G.R.R.P Jayawardena |
| Notable commanders | |
| Insignia | |
| Flag |  |
| Presidential Colour |  |
| Sri Lanka Army |
|---|
 |
| Components |
| History |
| Equipment |
| Leadership and ranks |
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. The army was officially established as the Ceylon Army in 1949, though the army traces its roots back in 1881 when Ceylon Light Infantry Volunteers was created; the army was renamed as the 'Sri Lanka Army' when Sri Lanka became a republic in 1972. In 2024, the Army had approximately 150,000 personnel.[1][3]
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.[4][5] 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.[6]
- ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
downsizewas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "SL celebrates 70th Army Day". themorning.lk. 10 October 2019. Archived from the original on 18 April 2021. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
- ^ The Military Balance 2024, p. 313
- ^ "Mahesh Senanayaka new Army Commander". www.dailymirror.lk. Archived from the original on 26 September 2024. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
- ^ "Lieutenant General Mahesh Senanayake appointed as new Army Commander". www.defence.lk. Archived from the original on 4 July 2017.
- ^ "Commander-in-Chief Completes One Year in Office". Media Centre for National Security. 8 March 2007. Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 20 April 2007.