Ravindra Wijegunaratne

Ravindra Wijegunaratne
Allegiance Sri Lanka Sri Lanka
Service/branch Sri Lanka Navy
Rank Vice Admiral
Unit Special Boat Squadron
Commands held Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy,
Chief of Staff,
Director General Coast Guard,
Commander Eastern Naval Command,
Commander Northern Naval Area,
Commander Western Naval Command,
Commander Southern Naval Command,
Director Naval Operations
Battles/wars Sri Lankan Civil War
Awards Weerodara Vibhushanaya,
Rana Wickrama Padakkama (twice),
Rana Sura Padakkama,
Uttama Seva Padakkama

Vice Admiral Ravindra C. Wijegunaratne, WV, RWP & Bar, RSP, USP, ndc, psc, MNI is a Sri Lankan admiral. He is the current Commander of the Sri Lankan Navy.[1] Prior to being appointed commander, he served as the Chief of Staff[2] of the Sri Lanka Navy[3] and had served as the Director General of the Sri Lanka Coast Guard, Commander of four of the five Naval Commands of the Navy which are the Eastern,[4] Northern,[5] Western[6] and Southern Naval Commands. Wijegunaratne had also served as Director Naval Operations and a recipient of the Weerodara Vibhushanaya[7]

Education

Educated at the Royal College, Colombo, where he became a President's Scout; he joined the Sri Lanka Navy on 1 November 1980 as an officer cadet of the 9th Intake at the Naval & Maritime Academy Trincomalee in the executive branch. Upon successful completion of officer training as a Midshipman at the Naval and Maritime Academy and at the Britannia Royal Naval College he was commissioned as a Sub-Lieutenant. At Britannia Royal Naval College, he won the Best International Midshipman Award in 1982. Thereafter underwent the Sub Lieutenant Technical Course in India, specialized in anti-submarine warfare and later took the staff course at Pakistan Naval Staff College. In 1996 he gained a BSc (Hons) (War Studies) from the University of Karachi and later graduated from the National Defense University (NESA Centre) and National Defence College, India (50th NDC Course - 2010). In 2010 he did his MPhil in Defence and Strategic Studies at the University of Madras. He is a Member of the Nautical Institute.

Wijegunaratne raised the elite Special Boat Squadron (SBS) [8] the naval special forces unit of the Sri Lanka Navy, in 1993. He led the SBS in an amphibious operation during the Battle of Pooneryn in 1993 and has commanded the unit from 1993 to 1994 and 1999 to 2000. He is a qualified diver, undergone Commando training and parachute qualified. Wijegunaratne has led SBS in a number of operations against LTTE terrorists including Operation Pawan alongside MARCOS units and also led SBS in various training exercises with U.S. Navy SEALs and Marine Commandos (MARCOS) of the Indian Navy.

He has served as Commanding Officer of SLNS Sayura the flagship of navy and from June 2005 to March 2006. He also served as First Secretary (Defence Adviser) of Sri Lankan High Commission in New Delhi. As First Secretary in Sri Lanka High Commission in New Delhi, his outstanding effort to coordinate Indian Military assistance to Sri Lanka during Tsunami disaster in December 2004 was highly appreciated by both the governments.

Promoted to the rank of Commodore he served as Director Naval Operations, Director Naval Weapon Systems, Director Special Forces, Director Maritime Surveillance and the Commandant of Naval and Maritime Academy. As Director Naval Operations in 2007, he played a major role in the anti arms smuggling operations that lead to the distraction of several LTTE gun running ships in the Indian Ocean. In 2009 he was promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral,[9] youngest Rear Admiral in the Sri Lanka Navy. Thereafter he served as Flag Officer Commanding Naval Fleet, Director General Services and went on to be Commander Southern, Western, Northern and Eastern Naval Areas.

Vice Admiral Wijegunaratne has been awarded the Weerodara Vibhushanaya the highest award for non-combat bravery and the gallantry medals Rana Wickrama Padakkama twice and Rana Sura Padakkama for individual acts of bravery in combat, the service medals Uttama Seva Padakkama and Sri Lanka Armed Services Long Service Medal.

Vice Admiral Wijegunaratne was an outstanding sportsman in the Navy who has represent Sri Lanka Navy in Rugby Football, Sailing/Rowing and Practical Pistol firing/Rifle firing. He has represented Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, UK in Hockey. He has played for Sri Lanka Navy Rugby Football team for number of years and Sri Lanka Navy Coloursman in Rugby Football, Sailing and Rowing. He has been Chairman of Sri Lanka Navy Rugby Football and Sailing/Rowing. He also performed duties as senior coordinator of Sri Lanka Navy Musketry, Wrestling, Judo and Karate. Currently he is the Chairman SLN Golf Club. At National Level, he has been the President of National Rifle Association.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Vice Admiral Ravindra Wijegunaratne assumes duties as the 20th Commander of the Navy
  2. ↑ Rear Admiral Ravindra Wijegunaratne has been appointed as the new Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Navy
  3. ↑ New Director General of Sri Lanka Coast Guard assumes duties
  4. ↑ US Ambassador visits Trincomalee Naval Dockyard
  5. ↑ Under SLN facilitation, Kachchathive church festival concludes successfully
  6. ↑ Navy Commander confers USP on 50 SLN personnel
  7. ↑ Two Intakes of Sailors pass out at SLNS Nipuna
  8. ↑ Special Boat Squadron:History & Background
  9. ↑ Promotions in the Sri Lanka Navy
Military offices
Preceded by
Jayantha Perera		 Commander of the Sri Lankan Navy
11 July 2015 - Present 		Incumbent
Preceded by
 Chief of Staff of the Sri Lankan Navy]]
? - 2015 		Succeeded by
Sirimevan Ranasinghe
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