With the expansion of the Army to face traditional and non-traditional threats, the Army founded a number of training establishments across the island to groom qualified, capable and efficient Army Officers and Other Ranks.
Officers after completing the basic training at the Sri Lanka Military Academy (SLMA) undergo a Young Officers’ Course under three stages in three major establishments. Tactics and Basic Jungle Warfare at Army Training School, Maduru Oya, Physical Training and Endurance Segment at Commando Training School (CRTS) at Kudaoya and Small Arms package at Infantry Training Centre (ITC) Minneriya are the three major training modules. Other than that, there are a number of training opportunities that have been provided to the Officers to improve their skills and knowledge in different specialized areas. Furthermore, Officers are trained in their respective Regimental Centres and respective Training Schools to acclimatize them to the regimentation.
Moreover, Officers have been provided opportunities to enhance their knowledge of staff duties, operations of war and military administration in an academic environment in the Army War College (AWC). The AWC mainly conducts three courses for Officers; Senior Command Course, Junior Command course and the Junior Staff Course. Officers are exposed to Staff Duties and many other related subjects, such as Mission Command, Operations of War, Counter Insurgency Operations and strategic studies. Moreover, Defence Services Command and Staff College (DSCSC) at Sapugaskanda conducts the Defence Services Command and Staff course for tri- services Officers. Prior to the admission to the DSCSC course, each and every tri-service officer has to face a separate selection examination, generally conducted by respective services. The objective of the DSCSC is to understand the art of applying command functions and staff techniques in war, peacetime and in operations other than war, know the roles, structure, employment and interdependence of the Sri Lanka Armed Forces within the entire spectrum of military employment, understand the mechanism of formulating the national defence policy and its correlation with military doctrine, develop in-depth analytical thinking and logical reasoning capability in day-to-day life as well as in operational environments, develop a comprehensive understanding on joint, inter service and inter-agency operations and also to inculcate the required skills to be able to communicate effectively both orally and in writing.
Furthermore, Army enlists Officer Cadets in various streams through General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University awarding degree programmes upon their enlistment.
National Defence College (NDC) was inaugurated as the premier strategic education establishment in Sri Lanka to develop future policy-makers in the realm of national security, statecraft, governance, diplomacy and international security in order to strengthen the national security mechanism in the country through collective intellectual vigour. The NDC provides high-quality professional strategic education to produce graduates who are skilled critical strategic thinkers able to provide professional counsel in achieving national security objectives. The NDC will also usher in a new era to enhance the professionalism of the tri-services. It will seek to foster inter-institutional civil-military synergy to strengthen the national security mechanism of the country through intellectual endeavours. The NDC is accredited to General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University Sri Lanka for award of post-graduate degrees.
Other Ranks who join the Army are expected to undergo basic recruit training and other special training under Army Training Schools and their Regimental Centers. Other Ranks need to complete specially-designed training courses in the Army Training School, Infantry Training School, Combat Training School, Army Physical Training School, Marksman and Sniper Training School and training in several other Regimental Training establishments.
Personnel who are selected for Elite Forces need to undergo their special training courses at Commando Regiment Training School and Special Forces Training School together with selected Officers.
When the Army was raised in 1949, the need arose to recruit and train officers and soldiers of the newly-formed Army. The then Army Recruit Training Depot (ARTD) was therefore formed in Diyatalawa on 6 February 1950 for the purpose of training recruits. The first batch of 114 recruits passed out from the ARTD on 02 June 1950. The ARTD was later re-named as the Army Training Centre (ATC). But facilities did not exist to train officers, and therefore Officer Cadets were sent to the Royal Military Academy (RMA), Sandhurst in the United Kingdom. The first batch of Officer Cadets was enlisted to the Army on 10 October 1949 and was dispatched to RMA Sandhurst.
Subsequently, Officer Cadets were trained at the Indian Military Academy and the Pakistan Military Academy as well. Overseas training however, was not sufficient to meet the growing needs of the Army. Therefore, arrangements were then made to train Officer Cadets locally. The first Intake of Officer Cadets, earmarked to be trained at the Army Training Centre, Diyatalawa, was enlisted on 16 April 1968. Since then Officer Cadets are locally trained and commissioned. With the expansion and the growing need to train large numbers of recruits, recruit training was then assigned to respective regiments. With this, the Army Training Centre was re-designated as the Sri Lanka Military Academy (SLMA), and since then it has been totally utilized for training of Officer Cadets. At any one time, five to six hundred Officer Cadets are now trained at the SLMA. During a two-year period, they are trained in leadership, tactics, weapons training, law, military accounting systems and academic studies. An intensive course in the English language is conducted during the first six months of training to enhance proficiency of the Officer Cadets in English Language.
The President's and ATC Colours presented to the ATC in 1972 were laid to rest with the change of its name to be the Sri Lanka Military Academy. The Colours were renamed as SLMA Colours and presented by Her Excellency Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, the President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka on 21 June 1997 at Diyatalawa.
The Sri Lanka Army exists to deter threats and safeguard the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the motherland. If deterrence fails, soldiers have to win in combat and re-establish peace and normalcy. To achieve this, the Army must be able to accomplish the assigned strategic roles. For deterrence to be effective, potential enemies must perceive that we have the capability to mobilize, deploy, fight and sustain combat operations in unified action with our sister services.
History shows the direct correlation worked between realistic training and success on the battlefield. Further, the Army has to ensure that Officers and Other Ranks enter the battle with the best chance of success and survival. This is an obligation that only outstanding and realistic training conducted at eminent levels could fulfill. Highest quality training therefore is essential at all levels.
Training is the means to achieve the tactical and technical proficiency that soldiers, leaders and units must have in order to enable them to accomplish their missions. Realistic training is designed to counter paradigm shift in enemy sphere. Therefore, it is imperative that all Commanders keep themselves fully abreast of latest developments in tactical, technical and administrative doctrines to ensure all Officers and men are trained in new techniques and skills involved.
Moreover, a large number of officers and men are annually sent overseas to receive specialized training.
