Commander of the Air Force (Sri Lanka)

Sri Lanka Air Force

Components Sri Lanka Air Force Sri Lanka Volunteer Air Force SLAF Regiment SLAF Regiment Special Force General Informaiton List of bases List of squadrons History History of the Sri Lanka Air Force Aircraft List of SLAF aircraft Personnel Commander of the Air Force Air Force Ranks

The Commander of the Air Force is the professional head of the Sri Lanka Air Force. The current Commander of the Air Force is Air Marshal Harsha Abeywickrama since 2011. It is a position comparable to that of Chief of the Air Staff of the Royal Air Force.

In the recent past all serving air force commanders have been of the rank of Air Marshal, promoted to the Honorary rank of Air Chief Marshal when retiring or Promoted to Chief of Defence Staff (CDS).

His deputy is the Chief of Staff of the air force.

Commander of the Air Force, 1951–present

An Air marshal's star plate is used by the Commander of the Air Force,Since all recently serving Air Force commanders where of the rank of Air marshal.

No.	Portrait	Rank	Name	Appointment	Left Office	Unit	Decorations
1		Air Commodore	Graham Bladon	May 05, 1950	October 24, 1958		CBE
2		Air Vice Marshal	John Barker	October 24, 1958	November 12, 1962		CB, CBE, DFC
3		Air Vice Marshal	Edward Amerasakera	November 12, 1962	December 31, 1970	No. 2 Squadron SLAF	DFC & BAR
4		Air Chief Marshal	Deshamanya Paddy Mendis	January 01, 1971	November 01, 1976	No. 2 Squadron SLAF No. 5 Squadron SLAF
5		Air Chief Marshal	Harry Goonatilake	November 01, 1976	April 30, 1981	No. 2 Squadron SLAF	USP
6		Air Chief Marshal	Dick Perera	May 01, 1981	April 30, 1985		VSV
7		Air Chief Marshal	Andibuduge Fernando	May 01, 1985	July 31, 1990		VSV
8		Air Chief Marshal	Makalandage Gunawardena	August 01, 1990	February 16, 1994		VSV
9		Air Chief Marshal	Oliver Ranasinghe	February 17, 1994	March 05, 1998	No. 4 Squadron SLAF	VSV, USP
10		Air Chief Marshal	Jayalath Weerakkody	March 06, 1998	July 15, 2002	No. 2 Squadron SLAF No. 4 Squadron SLAF	RWP, VSV, USP
11		Air Chief Marshal	Donald Perera	July 16, 2002	June 11, 2006	No. 2 Squadron SLAF	VSV, USP
12		Air Chief Marshal	Roshan Goonatilake	June 12, 2006	February 27, 2011	No. 4 Squadron SLAF	RWP & BAR, VSV, USP
13		Air Marshal	Harsha Duminda Abeywickrama	February 28, 2011	Present	No. 5 Squadron SLAF	RWP, RSP, USP

Trivia

• The former air force commander Air Chief Marshal Roshan Goonatilake is the son of the 5th Commander of the Air Force, Air Chief Marshal Harry Goonatilake.

See also

• Sri Lanka Air Force
• Commander of the Army
• Commander of the Navy

References

• Air Force Commanders