Chief of Defence Staff Admiral Ravindra C. Wijegunaratne, following 39 years of military service, retires today (31). He received the Best International Midshipman Award at the Britannia Royal Naval College in 1982. He who specialized in Anti-Submarine Warfare is a qualified diver, paratrooper, and a Special Forces person.
He fought alongside Indian Navy Marine Commandos (MARCOS) unit in the Jaffna lagoon in 1988 during Operation PAWAN against the LTTE. He was instrumental in forming the Special Boat Squadron (SBS) which he commanded twice. He led SBS operations such as ‘Pooneryn Amphibious Operation’ in 1993 and SBS teams on training missions with US Navy SEALS and Indian Navy MARCOS.
He has been awarded the Weerodhara Vibushanaya, Rana Wickrama Padakkama twice and Rana Sura Padakkama. He is an expert in Asymmetric Naval Warfare and Small Boat Operations. He commanded the Navy Flag Ship SLNS Sayura and held key appointments such as the First Secretary and Defence Adviser of the Sri Lankan High Commission in India, Commandant Naval and Maritime Academy, Flag Officer Commanding Naval Fleet, Director Naval Special Forces, Director Maritime Surveillance and Director Naval Operations when the last four LTTE floating armouries were destroyed in international waters during 2006/2007, Director-General Services; Commander of Southern, Western, Northern, and Eastern Naval Areas; Director-General of the Sri Lanka Coast Guard, and the Chief of Staff of Sri Lanka Navy. He raised two battalions of Navy Marines with the support of the US Marines in 2015. He was awarded Nishan-e-Imtiaz (Military) Medal by the Pakistani President, the highest Pakistan military or civilian award bestowed on a Sri Lankan.
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