Defender of the Nation
A coordination meeting on the construction of interim shelters for communities affected by Cyclone ‘Ditwah’ was held on 27 April 2026 at the Army Headquarters under the patronage of the Deputy Minister of Defence, Major General Aruna Jayasekara (Retd).
In celebration of the Sinhala and Tamil New Year 2026, the Army Headquarters organised a New Year cultural festival on 24 April 2026 at the Regimental Centre of the Sri Lanka Light Infantry.
Lieutenant General Lasantha Rodrigo RSP ctf-ndu psc IG, the Commander of the Army, in his Sinhala & Tamil New Year message, extends his warmest New Year greetings to all in the Army and wishes them the best of luck and prosperity!
The Inaugural Commemorative Oration in honour of Late Brigadier J.F. Halangode was held on 21 February 2026 at the Faculty of Graduate Studies Auditorium of General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University.
Lieutenant General Lasantha Rodrigo RSP ctf-ndu psc IG, Commander of the Army, together with all ranks, extends warm Ramadan greetings to all.
Sri Lanka’s 78th National Independence Day was celebrated on 04 February 2026 at Independence Square in Colombo under the theme “Rebuilding Sri Lanka”. His Excellency the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, graced the occasion as the Chief Guest.
Here follows the message of Commander of the Army:
The inaugural edition of Lanka Ride 2026, Sri Lanka’s premier multi-stage cycling tour, concluded in grand style on 18 January 2026.
The Sri Lanka Army emerged as the overall champions of the 13th Defence Services Games. The tournament, hosted by the Sri Lanka Army, commenced with its inaugural ceremony on 12 September 2024 and featured 39 sports.
General Upendra Dwivedi, Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) of the Indian Army, along with his spouse, Mrs. Sunita Dwivedi concluded their official visit to Sri Lanka, which commenced on 06 January 2026. The visit marked a significant step towards further strengthening bilateral defence cooperation between Sri Lanka and India.