Lieutenant General K. V. Nilantha P. Premaratne, RSP & bar, USP is a Sri Lankan army officer who has served as the 26th Commander of the Army since 1 August 2026.
Career Premaratne is an alumnus of St. Servatius' College, Matara. He joined the Sri Lanka Army as an officer cadet of the Regular Intake 34 on 14 July 1990, completed his basic training at the Sri Lanka Military Academy in Diyatalawa, and was commissioned as a second lieutenant on 6 June 1992.
Premaratne has represented Sri Lanka in international military undertakings, serving as a United Nations Military Observer (UNMO) with the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO).
He holds a Master of Arts degree in Security Studies (Counterterrorism: Policy and Strategies) from the Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California, United States, and a Master of Defence Studies degree from the University of Kelaniya.
Premaratne was appointed the 69th Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army on 1 June 2026 and served in that role until 1 August.
Commander of the Army On 31 July 2026, Premaratne was appointed the 26th Commander of Sri Lanka Army with effect from 1 August 2026 by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, and was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general. He succeeded General Lasantha Rodrigo who retired on 31 July.
Personal life Premaratne is married to Vindya Premaratne and they have two children.
See also Ministry of Defence Sri Lanka Armed Forces Sri Lanka Navy Sri Lanka Air Force
Notes
References
External links Sri Lanka Army: Past Army Commanders