Major General Lasantha Rodrigo will take over as the 25th Commander of the Sri Lanka Army, succeeding retiring Lieutenant General Vikum Liyanage.
Additionally, Rear Admiral Kanchana Banagoda, currently the Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Navy, will assume the position of the 26th Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy, effective January 1, 2025. He will replace Vice Admiral Priyantha Perera. Rear Admiral Banagoda, an alumnus of S. Thomas’ College, Bandarawela, joined the Navy in 1989 as an Officer Cadet of the 19th intake in the Executive Branch.
In a related development, General Shavendra Silva will retire from his position as Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and from active service in the Sri Lanka Army, also effective January 1, 2025. General Silva, who assumed the role of the 8th CDS on June 1, 2022, has completed over 40 years of distinguished service. He previously served as the Acting Chief of Defence Staff and the 23rd Commander of the Sri Lanka Army, becoming the first four-star General to command the Army.
Meanwhile, the term of Air Marshal Udeni Rajapaksa, the current Commander of the Sri Lanka Air Force, is set to expire next month.
