19th December 2023 22:28:11 Hours
Curtains came down on the ‘Army War College Symposium - 2023’, at Buttala Army War College (AWC) Tuesday (12 Dec) where military leaders, scholars, and experts around the country sat together to talk on the ‘Influence of Fifth Generation Warfare (Perception and Information) and Challenges for Military in Sri Lankan Context’.
The two-day conference, held concurrently from two locations received the blessings of the Commander of the Army. It was organized by the AWC Commandant, Major General U.K.D.D.P Udugama RWP RSP USP ndc psc and aimed at fostering critical discussions, exchange of innovative ideas, and invaluable insights into the evolving nature of modern warfare.
Under the main theme, five sessions were designed under five sub-themes where an eminent panel of Session Chairs and Guest Speakers, who enriched the insightful domains with their speeches, underscored the sub-themes of the sessions to arrive at practical solutions.
Topics that were extensively dwelt during the sessions included ‘Fifth Generation Warfare and Challenges for State (from Military to Political Security)’, ‘Evolution of Modern Warfare and Significance of Fifth Generation Warfare’, ‘Dynamics and Influence of Fifth Generation Warfare and Challenges’, ‘Critical Technologies and its Impact’, ‘Emerging Technologies, Advance Application Tools and Effects across Domains’, ‘Perceived Changes in Sri Lankan Operation Environment and Challenges’, ‘Military Strategies in Support of Formulation of Military Guidance/Policy Making’, ‘Global Best Practices, Probable Guidelines and Legal Implications’, ‘Planning Consideration to Develop Military Strategy/Application for Emerging Security Landscape’, ‘Leadership and Decision Making in Complex Operational Environment’, ‘Evolving a Joint Approach for Decision Making Enhance Capabilities of Military’, ‘Responsibilities of Different Stakeholders and Enhancing Capabilities to Face Complex Environments’, ‘Perception for Sri Lankan Military’, ‘Lessons Derived from Modern Dimensions of Perception Change in Relevant to Sri Lankan Experiences and Role of Military’ and ‘Complex Operation Environment and Challenges in Command to Achieve Cohesion.’
In total, 16 professionals of different spheres shared their views with respective Session Chairs and ten Speakers, in relation to the contents in the keynote address commented on those thematic points separately.
Major General W.H.K.S Peiris RWP RSP VSV USP ndu, Commander, Security Forces - West and Colonel Commandant, Military Intelligence Corps, Major General M.G.W.W.W.M.C.B Wickramasinghe RWP RSP ndu psc, Director General General Staff, Sri Lanka Army, Brigadier S.P Wickramasekera RWP RSP USP psc, the Military Adviser to Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka in the UN, Major General D.K.S.K Dolage USP psc, General Officer Commanding, 59 Infantry Division, Major General W Chandrasiri RSP USP psc, General Officer Commanding - 24 Infantry Division, Lieutenant Colonel Thushara Kathriarachchi (Retd) SLAWC, LLB Attorney-at-Law, the Head-Department of Criminology- KDU, Colonel K.V.P Dhammika USP ptsc, the Director-Defence Cyber Command and Information Warfare Centre MOD, Rear Admiral Y.N Jayarathna (Retd) RWP RSP USP ndu psc, the Former Chief of Staff, Sri Lanka Navy and Chief Hydrography/International Consultant, Major General S.A Kulatunge RWP RSP VSV USP psc, Chief Field Engineer, Sri Lanka Army, Major General G.V.D.U.A Perera (Retd) RWP RSP VSV USP USAWC psc, the Senior General Manager/Group Head of Administration, Brandix Apparel Ltd, Brigadier P.C.L Gunawardhane RWP RSP psc, the Director-Research, Concept and Doctrine Sri Lanka Army and Air Commodore V.T.S Sirimanne USP MCR MPM MDS PgD (IR) LLB ANDHRM, Attorney-at-Law Notary Public Commissioner for Oath MIM (SL), Chartered Member CIPM Member BASL ndc psc, the Provost Marshal-Sri Lanka Air Force, the renowned defence analyst and researcher Mr. Nilanthan Niruthan (keynote speech), Mr Indika De Zoysa, the Strategic Adviser/Vice President Huawei Technologies Lanka Co (Pvt) Ltd, Mr Boshan Dayaratne, the Group Director/CEO-CICRA Holdings, Mr Varuna Jayalath, Country General Manager - Dell Technologies, Professor Thushara Weerawardane, the Dean-Faculty of Engineering-KDU respectively contributed to the academic sessions.
A diversified audience plus other participants connected through Zoom technology included those from all SFHQs.
Major General W.H.K.S Peiris RWP RSP VSV USP ndu, Commander, Security Forces - West and Colonel Commandant, Military Intelligence Corps graced the inauguration and delivered the opening address joining from the Army Headquarters.
Several Principal Staff Officers and Directors at Army Headquarters including the Commandant, Chief Instructor and the Staff officers of AWC also participated in the arrangement that took place at the Army Headquarters. Simultaneously, the AWC Deputy Commandant, Student Officers of Senior Command Course 9 and Junior Command Course 28 along with faculty members and permanent staff joined from the AWC Buttala online.
A total of about 1500 from different SFHQs across the country joined the sessions online.
At the end of each session, mementos and certificates were given to all the intellectuals as tokens of appreciation. The Deputy Commandant of AWC delivered the vote of thanks. He also extended his regards to Commander of the Army, Lieutenant General Vikum Liyanage RWP RSP ndu for facilitating to conduct the ‘Symposium 2023’ of the AWC and Major General M.G.W.W.W.M.C.B Wickramasinghe RWP RSP ndu psc, the Director General General Staff-Sri Lanka Army, AHQ Staff, including the General Staff Branch, Directorate of Training, and Directorate of Media and all the other Directors and Principal Staff Officers, the Commandant of Army War College Major General U.K.D.D.P Udugama RWP RSP USP ndc psc, the Symposium Secretariat and his dedicated team and the AWC staff.
