- Sri Lanka Volunteer Naval Force
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Blue Ensign flown by merchant vessels commanded by officers in the SLVNF.
The Sri Lanka Volunteer Naval Force(SLVNF) is the volunteer reserve force of the Sri Lanka Navy. The present headquarters of the VNF is at SLNS Lanka in Welisara. 95% of the members of the Volunteer Naval Force are now in the active service and deployed across almost all Sri Lankan Naval bases, with a strength of 213 officers and 3480 sailors.[1] The current Commandant of the SLVNF is Rear admiral Susith Weerasekara RSP, VSV, USP, ndu, psn, MSc. (DS) Mgmt, DISS, DIDSS.
Contents
Mission statement
Sri Lanka Navy 
Components Sri Lanka Navy Volunteer Naval Force Fast Attack Flotilla Naval Patrolmen Special Boat Squadron History History of the Sri Lanka Navy Ships Current Fleet Historic Ships Personnel Commander of the Navy Naval Ranks The mission statement of the Sri Lanka Volunteer Naval Force is
“ To supplement and to provide the Regular Naval Force with the required assistance in the execution of the role and tasks of the Navy drawing expertise from diverse fields in the civilian strata ” History
The history of the Sri Lanka Navy lies with the history of the Sri Lanka Volunteer Naval Force, the roots of which go back to the Ceylon Naval Volunteer Force (CNVF) of the colonial days. The Ceylon Naval Volunteer Force (CNVF) was raised subsequent the Volunteer Naval Defense Force Act 1. of 1937 under the command of Commander (Later Captain) W.G. Beauchamp, VRD, CBE with 12 officers and 18 sailors.
The first headquarters of the force was set up only days before the out break of World War II, at Kochchikade. Soon after, the CNVF was mobilized, placed under the command of the Royal Navy and deployed in the defence of Colombo and Trincomalee harbours. On 1 October 1943 it was renamed the Ceylon Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve. In 1946 it was brought back under the command of the Government of Ceylon.
The Royal Ceylon Volunteer Force was sanctioned and formed in 9 January 1951 under the Navy Act 34 of 1950. The officers and sailors the CRNVR who were not on active service on the date immediately preceding Navy act came in to operation formed the nucleus of the Royal Ceylon Volunteer Naval Force (RCVNF) with a strength of 12 officers and 121 men. To keep the Port H.M.Cy.S. TISSA safe, Port Commission Officers were commissioned as a separate division of the VNF, , with Captain M. Chandrasoma OBE as Commanding Officer. This Division was disbanded in 1956.
In 1972 when Sri Lanka became a republic the , Royal Ceylon Volunteer Naval Force became the Sri Lanka Volunteer Naval Force (SLVNF). Since then officers and sailors of the SLVNF have taken part in many operation carried out by the Sri Lanka Navy during Sri Lanka's War Against Terror
Awards and decorations
- Prashansaniya Seva Vibhushanaya - Since 1972 for Commissioned Officers.
- Prashansaniya Seva Padakkama - Since 1972 for other rates.
Commandants
Rear admiral Susith Weerasekara RSP, VSV, USP, ndu, psn, MSc. (DS) Mgmt, DISS, DIDSS. April, 2011–Present
Notable members
- Sir Susantha de Fonseka, KBE - former Deputy Speaker of the State Council and former Ambassador to Burma and Japan
- Rear Admiral G.R.M. De Mel OBE, ADC, RCyN - First Ceylonese Commander of the Royal Ceylon Navy (1955–1960)
- Rear Admiral Rajan Kadiragamar MVO, ADC, RCyN - Commander of the Royal Ceylon Navy (1960–1970)
- Rear Admiral D.V. Hunter SLN -Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy (1970–1972)
- Rear Admiral Palitha Fernando, PC, VNF - Judge Advocate of the Sri Lanka Navy
- Commodore G.E.S. de Silva, PSV, FCMA, FCFA, FCMI, VNF - Commanding Officer, VNF
See also
References
External links
- Volunteer Naval Force
- Sri Lanka Navy
- Ministry of Defence Sri Lanka
- Government Notifications, THE PRASANSANEEYA SEVA PADAKKA
- Navy Act, Volunteer Naval
Armed Forces of Sri Lanka Categories:- Sri Lanka Navy
- Reserve forces of Sri Lanka
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