General (Sri Lanka)

General (abbreviated as Gen.) is the second-highest rank, and the highest active rank, of the Sri Lankan Army and was created as a direct equivalent of the British military rank of general; it is also considered a four-star rank.

For the similar military rank in other countries, see General.
General
Country Sri Lanka
Service branch Sri Lanka Army
AbbreviationGen
RankFour star
NATO rank codeOF 9
Formation1949
Next higher rankField marshal
Next lower rankLieutenant general
Equivalent ranks Sri Lanka Navy - Admiral
 Sri Lanka Air Force - Air Chief Marshal
Comparative military ranks in English
Armies
Air forces
Space forces		 Navies Air forces
(Commonwealth system)
Commissioned officers
Field marshal or
General of the army or
General of the air force		 Admiral of
the fleet		 Marshal of
the air force
General Admiral Air chief marshal
Lieutenant general Vice admiral Air marshal
Major general Rear admiral Air vice-marshal
Brigadier or
brigadier general		 Commodore Air commodore
Colonel Captain Group captain
Lieutenant colonel Commander Wing commander
Major or
commandant		 Lieutenant
commander		 Squadron leader
Captain Lieutenant Flight lieutenant
Lieutenant or
first lieutenant		 Lieutenant
junior grade or
sub-lieutenant		 Flying officer
Second lieutenant Ensign or
midshipman		 Pilot officer
Officer cadet Officer cadet Flight cadet
Enlisted grades
Warrant officer or
sergeant major		 Warrant officer or
chief petty officer		 Warrant officer
Sergeant Petty officer Sergeant
Corporal or
bombardier		 Leading seaman Corporal
Private or
gunner or
trooper or
specialist		 Seaman Aircraftman or
airman or
aviator
Sri Lanka Army
Components
History
Equipment
Personnel
Welfare

The rank is held by a Chief of the Defence Staff or is mostly awarded as a ceremonial rank to the Commanders of the Army on their days of retirement.

General is a higher rank than lieutenant general, but is lower than field marshal. General is the equivalent of Admiral in the Sri Lanka Navy and Air Chief Marshal in the Sri Lanka Air Force.

History

When the Ceylon Army was formed the rank of general was the highest rank defined under the Army Act of 1949. Since the formation the British Army officer heading the army held the rank of brigadier and the first Ceylonese officer to command the army, Anton Muttukumaru was promoted to the rank of major general in 1958.

In 1974, then commander of the army, Sepala Attygalle was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general and ever since then all serving commanders of the army held the rank of lieutenant general, customarily promoted to the rank on appointment to the post of commander of the army.

Sepala Attygalle became the first officer to be promoted to the rank of general on his retirement from the army on 13 October 1977. Former Prime Minister of Ceylon, Sir John Kotelawala was appointed to the honorary rank of general of the Volunteer Force in 1980. In 1988, Cyril Ranatunga became the only regular officer (to date) to be promoted to the rank of general, without serving as the commander of the army. In 1991, Ranjan Wijeratne was the only person appointed to the rank posthumously. Since 1991, it became customary for all commanders of the army to be promoted to the rank of general on the final day of service if they were retiring or appointed as Chief of the Defence Staff. In 2007, two former commanders of the army were also promoted to the rank of general. In 2009, Sarath Fonseka became the first officer to hold the rank of general, while serving as commander of the army for a brief period.[1] In 2015, the higher ceremonial rank of field marshal was created. General remains the highest rank under the Army Act and is the highest pay grade in the army.

List of generals
Further information: List of Sri Lankan generals

General of the Volunteer Force

Three former members of the volunteer force have been awarded the honorary rank of General of the Volunteer Force of the Army.

  • General Sir John Kotelawala (1980) — Former Prime Minister of Ceylon and Minister of Defense and External Affairs.
  • General Ranjan Wijeratne (1991 - posthumously) — Former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of State for Defence.
  • General Anuruddha Ratwatte (1995) — Former Minister of Power and Energy and Deputy Minister for Defence

Insignia

A general's insignia is a crossed sword and baton. A Major-General has a pip over this emblem; a Lieutenant-General a Sri Lanka emblem instead of a pip; and a full General both a pip and the Sri Lanka emblem.

References
  1. Former service chiefs promoted
  • Army, Sri Lanka. (1st Edition - October 1999). "50 YEARS ON" - 1949-1999, Sri Lanka Army. ISBN 955-8089-02-8
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