Chief of Staff of the Air Force has been the title of the second in command of the Sri Lanka Air Force. The post is held by a regular officer of the rank of Air Vice Marshal and is the second most senior position in the Air Force. Chief of Staff is charged with assisting the Air Force Commander in both operational and administrative aspects, functioning as the Acting Air Force Commander in his absences or incantation. Chief of Staff is assisted by the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Air Force.
List of chiefs of staff
NoChief of staffTook officeLeft officeNotes 1Wing Commander A. E. Dale 19491956 2Wing Commander Rohan Amerasekera 195611 November 1962Wing Commander Rohan Amerasekera was appointed as 2nd Commander of the Air Force and promoted to Air Vice Marshal. 4Group Captain Paddy Mendis 1 January 197031 December 1970Wing Commander Paddy Mendis was appointed as 4th Commander of the Air Force and promoted to Air Vice Marshal. 5Group Captain Harry Goonatilake 1 January 197531 October 1976Air Commodore Harry Goonatilake was appointed as 5th Commander of the Air Force and promoted to Air Vice Marshal. 6Air Commodore Dick Perera 30 April 1981Air Commodore Dick Perera was appointed as 6th Commander of the Air Force and promoted to Air Vice Marshal. 7Air Vice Marshal Walter Fernando 198130 April 1985Air Vice Marshal Walter Fernando was appointed as 7th Commander of the Air Force and promoted to Air Marshal. 8Air Vice Marshal Terry Gunawardena 31 March 198614 February 1988Air Vice Marshal Terry Gunawardena was appointed as 8th Commander of the Air Force and promoted to Air Marshal. 9Air Vice Marshal Oliver Ranasinghe 16 February 199016 February 1994Air Vice Marshal Oliver Ranasinghe was appointed as 9th Commander of the Air Force and promoted to Air Marshal. 10Air Vice Marshal Anslem Peiris 17 February 1998 11Air Vice Marshal Jayalath Weerakkody 18 February 19985 March 1998Air Vice Marshal Jayalath Weerakkody was appointed as 10th Commander of the Air Force and promoted to Air Marshal. 12Air Vice Marshal Donald Perera December 199815 July 2002Air Vice Marshal Donald Perera was appointed as 11th Commander of the Air Force and promoted to Air Marshal. 13Air Vice Marshal J.L.C. Salgado 16 July 20022 April 2006 14Air Vice Marshal WDRMJ Goonetileke 3 April 200610 June 2006Air Vice Marshal WDRMJ Goonetileke was appointed as 12th Commander of the Air Force and promoted to Air Marshal. 15Air Vice Marshal P. B. Premachandra 12 June 20062011 16Air Vice Marshal Harsha Abeywickrama 201127 February 2011Air Vice Marshal Harsha Abeywickrama was appointed as 13th Commander of the Air Force and promoted to Air Marshal. 17Air Vice Marshal Kolitha Gunathilake 27 February 2011 27 February 2014 Air Vice Marshal Kolitha Gunathilake was appointed as 14th Commander of the Air Force and promoted to Air Marshal. 18Air Vice Marshal Gagan Bulathsinghala 28 February 201431 May 2015Air Vice Marshal Gagan Bulathsinghala was appointed as 15th Commander of the Air Force and promoted to Air Marshal. 19Air Vice Marshal C. Ranil Gurusinghe 1 February 201612 September 2016The position remained vacant until the appointment of Air Vice Marshal Sumangala Dias. 20Air Vice Marshal Sumangala Dias 1 October 2016 28 May 2019Air Vice Marshal Sumangala Dias was appointed as 17th Commander of the Air Force and promoted to Air Marshal. 21Air Vice Marshal Sudarshana Pathirana 2019 1 November 2020Air Vice Marshal Sudarshana Pathirana was appointed as 18th Commander of the Air Force and promoted to Air Marshal. 22Air Vice Marshal P.D.K.T. (Ravi) Jayasinghe 30 November 2020 9 March 2021 23Air Vice Marshal Prasanna Payoe 9 March 2021 12 September 2022 24Air Vice Marshal Udeni Rajapaksa 12 September 2022 29 June 2023Air Vice Marshal Udeni Rajapaksa was appointed as 19th Commander of the Air Force and promoted to Air Marshal. 25Air Vice Marshal RS Wickremeratne 9 July 2023 3 March 2025 26Air Vice Marshal Lasitha Sumanaweera 4 March 2025
References