Ravindra Wijegunaratne
Encyclopedia
Rear Admiral
Ravindra C. Wijegunaratne, WV
, RWP
, RSP
, USP
, ndc
, psc, MNI
, SLN
is a Sri Lankan Naval officer. He is the current Commander of the Commander Northern Naval Command and was the former Commander of the Western and Southern Naval Commands and former Director Naval Operations and a recipient of the Weerodara Vibhushanaya
, where he became a President's Scout
. He joined the Sri Lanka Navy as an Officer Cadet
in the Executive Branch. After successful completion of officer training as a Midshipman
at the Naval and Maritime Academy
and at the Britannia Royal Naval College
he was commissioned as a Sub-Lieutenant
. At Britannia Royal Naval College, he won the Best International Midshipman Award in 1982. Thereafter underwent the Sub Lieutenant Technical Course in India, specialized in Anti-submarine warfare
and later took the Staff Course at Pakistan Naval Staff College. In 1996 he gained a BSc
(Hons) (War Studies) from the University of Karachi
and has graduate from the National Defense University
(NESA Centre) and National Defence College, India
(50th NDC Course - 2010). In 2010 he did him MPhil in Defence and Strategic Studies at the University of Madras
. He is a Member of the Nautical Institute.
in 1993 and has commanded the unit from 1993 to 1994 and 1999 to 2000. He is a qualified diver
, undergone Commando
training and parachute qualified
. Wijegunaratne has led SBS in number of operations against LTTE terrorists and also led SBS in various training exercises with U.S. Navy SEALs and Marine Commandos
(MARCOS) of the Indian Navy
.
He as served as Commanding Officer of SLNS Sayura
the flag ship of navy and from November 2001 to March 2005 he served as First Secretary (Defence Adviser) of Sri Lankan High Commission in New Delhi
. As First Secretary in Sri Lanka High Commission in New Delhi, his outstanding effort to coordinate Indian Military assistance to Sri Lanka during Tsunami disaster in December 2004 was highly appreciated by both the governments.
Promoted to the rank of Commodore
he served as Director Naval Operations, Director Naval Weapon Systems, Director Special Forces, Director Maritime Surveillance and the Commandant of Naval and Maritime Academy. As Director Naval Operations in 2007, he played a major role in the anti arms smuggling operations
that lead to the distraction of several LTTE gun running ships in the Indian Ocean. In 2009 he was promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral
, youngest Rear Admiral in the Sri Lanka Navy. Thereafter he served as Flag Officer Commanding
Naval Fleet, Director General Services, Commander Southern Naval Area and Commander Western Naval Area.
Rear Admiral Wijegunaratne has been awarded the Weerodara Vibhushanaya
the highest award for non-combat bravery and the gallantry medals Rana Wickrama Padakkama
and Rana Sura Padakkama
for individual acts of bravery in combat, the service medals Uttama Seva Padakkama
and Sri Lanka Armed Services Long Service Medal
.
A keen sportsman, he has represented the Sri Lanka Navy in Rugby Football, Sailing, Rowing and Musketry. He is a Sri Lanka Navy Coloursman in Rugby Football, Sailing and Rowing. He has also represented Britannia Royal Naval College, UK in Hockey in 1982. He is the current President of National Rifle Association of Sri Lanka.
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
Ravindra C. Wijegunaratne, WV
Weerodara Vibhushanaya
The Weerodara Vibhushanaya medal and bar are the second highest Sri Lankan military decoration that is presented to soldiers and civilians as a reward for their individual acts of gallantry and prominent bravery of a most exceptional order performed which is of a non military nature of their own...
, RWP
Rana Wickrama Padakkama
The Rana Wickrama Padakkama medal and bar are presented to Sri Lankan military officers and other ranks as a reward for individual or allied acts of heroism in facing the enemy and performed of their own accord.-How medal awarded:It is ordained that the decoration shall be granted to all ranks of...
, RSP
Rana Sura Padakkama
The Rana Sura Padakkama is a medal presented to members of all ranks of the Military of Sri Lanka for individual and/or associated acts of heroism in facing the enemy and performed of their own accord. The decoration is presented by the President of Sri Lanka...
, USP
Uttama Seva Padakkama
The Uttama Seva Padakkama is presented to all ranks of the Regular Forces of the Sri Lankan military for valuable service and dedication to duty with the outstanding ability, merit and excellent conduct, given that they count not less than 15 years continuous and uninterrupted service and possess...
, ndc
NDC
NDC or ndc may refer to:*IATA code for Nanded Airport, India* ndc, "name daemon control program" in some Unix-based BIND name-server environments* N.D.C., a 2002 single by Australian band Jebediah* National Defence Commission of North Korea...
, psc, MNI
MNI
The abbreviation MNI may stand for:* Miami Network Interface, a network hardware API for Amiga computers.* The professional title for an individual who is a Member of the Nautical Institute....
, SLN
Sri Lankan Navy
-The Beginning and World War II:In January 1938 the Ceylon Naval Volunteer Force was created with Commander W.G. Beauchamp as Commanding Officer under ordinance No I of 1937. On 31 August 1939 at the out set of World War II, the CNVF was mobilized for war duties...
is a Sri Lankan Naval officer. He is the current Commander of the Commander Northern Naval Command and was the former Commander of the Western and Southern Naval Commands and former Director Naval Operations and a recipient of the Weerodara Vibhushanaya
Weerodara Vibhushanaya
The Weerodara Vibhushanaya medal and bar are the second highest Sri Lankan military decoration that is presented to soldiers and civilians as a reward for their individual acts of gallantry and prominent bravery of a most exceptional order performed which is of a non military nature of their own...
Education
Educated at the prestiges Royal College ColomboRoyal College Colombo
The Royal College of Colombo was founded in January 1835 in Colombo. It is considered to be the leading Public School in Sri Lanka...
, where he became a President's Scout
President's Scout
The President's Scout or President's Award may refer to several ranks in Scout organizations around the world:*the highest rank of The Scout Association of Maldives*the highest rank of the Sri Lanka Scout Association...
. He joined the Sri Lanka Navy as an Officer Cadet
Officer Cadet
Officer cadet is a rank held by military and merchant navy cadets during their training to become commissioned officers and merchant navy officers, respectively. The term officer trainee is used interchangeably in some countries...
in the Executive Branch. After successful completion of officer training as a Midshipman
Midshipman
A midshipman is an officer cadet, or a commissioned officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Kenya...
at the Naval and Maritime Academy
Naval and Maritime Academy
Naval and Maritime Academy , Trincomalee, is the location of initial officer training in the Sri Lanka Navy, and is located within SLN Dockyard, Trincomalee. It received university status in 2001...
and at the Britannia Royal Naval College
Britannia Royal Naval College
Britannia Royal Naval College is the initial officer training establishment of the Royal Navy, located on a hill overlooking Dartmouth, Devon, England. While Royal Naval officer training has taken place in the town since 1863, the buildings which are seen today were only finished in 1905, and...
he was commissioned as a Sub-Lieutenant
Sub-Lieutenant
Sub-lieutenant is a military rank. It is normally a junior officer rank.In many navies, a sub-lieutenant is a naval commissioned or subordinate officer, ranking below a lieutenant. In the Royal Navy the rank of sub-lieutenant is equivalent to the rank of lieutenant in the British Army and of...
. At Britannia Royal Naval College, he won the Best International Midshipman Award in 1982. Thereafter underwent the Sub Lieutenant Technical Course in India, specialized in Anti-submarine warfare
Anti-submarine warfare
Anti-submarine warfare is a branch of naval warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, or other submarines to find, track and deter, damage or destroy enemy submarines....
and later took the Staff Course at Pakistan Naval Staff College. In 1996 he gained a BSc
BSC
BSC is a three-letter abbreviation that may refer to:Science and technology* Bachelor of Science , an undergraduate degree* Base Station Controller, part of a mobile phone network; see: Base Station subsystem...
(Hons) (War Studies) from the University of Karachi
University of Karachi
The University of Karachi is a public university located in Karachi, Pakistan. It serves an on-campus student population of more than 24,000. According to the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan, it is ranked among the top three universities of the country...
and has graduate from the National Defense University
National Defense University
The National Defense University is an institution of higher education funded by the United States Department of Defense, intended to facilitate high-level training, education, and the development of national security strategy. It is chartered by the Joint Chiefs of Staff, with Navy Vice Admiral...
(NESA Centre) and National Defence College, India
National Defence College, India
The National Defence College of India, located in New Delhi, is an institution of higher learning of the defence forces of India. The institution was inaugurated on 27 April 1960 and is the only military institution in the country that imparts knowledge on all aspects of national security and...
(50th NDC Course - 2010). In 2010 he did him MPhil in Defence and Strategic Studies at the University of Madras
University of Madras
The University of Madras is a public research university in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. It is one of the three oldest universities in India...
. He is a Member of the Nautical Institute.
Naval career
Wijegunaratne raised the elite Special Boat Squadron (SBS) in 1993, the naval spical forces unit of the Sri Lanka Navy. He led the SBS in a amphibious operation during the Battle of PoonerynBattle of Pooneryn
The Battle of Pooneryn was a battle fought on November 11, 1993 for the town of Pooneryn.-Background:The main target of the LTTE in the shorline offensive was the Sri Lankan government naval base at Pooneryn...
in 1993 and has commanded the unit from 1993 to 1994 and 1999 to 2000. He is a qualified diver
Diver
Diver or divers can refer to:*Diving, the sport of performing acrobatics while jumping or falling into water**:Category:Divers*Underwater diving**:Category:Underwater divers**Scuba diving, in which a diver uses a scuba set to breathe underwater...
, undergone Commando
Commando
In English, the term commando means a specific kind of individual soldier or military unit. In contemporary usage, commando usually means elite light infantry and/or special operations forces units, specializing in amphibious landings, parachuting, rappelling and similar techniques, to conduct and...
training and parachute qualified
Paratrooper
Paratroopers are soldiers trained in parachuting and generally operate as part of an airborne force.Paratroopers are used for tactical advantage as they can be inserted into the battlefield from the air, thereby allowing them to be positioned in areas not accessible by land...
. Wijegunaratne has led SBS in number of operations against LTTE terrorists and also led SBS in various training exercises with U.S. Navy SEALs and Marine Commandos
Marcos
-Sports:* Dayton Marcos, Negro League baseball team from Dayton, Ohio * Nélson Marcos, Portuguese footballer* Marcos Ambrose, Australian racing driver currently competing in NASCAR* Marcos Baghdatis, Cypriot tennis player...
(MARCOS) of the Indian Navy
Indian Navy
The Indian Navy is the naval branch of the armed forces of India. The President of India serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy. The Chief of Naval Staff , usually a four-star officer in the rank of Admiral, commands the Navy...
.
He as served as Commanding Officer of SLNS Sayura
SLNS Sayura
SLNS Sayura is the Flag ship and an Offshore Patrol Vessel of the Sri Lanka Navy.She was formerly, the INS Sarayu, a Sukanya class patrol vessel of the Indian Navy sold to Sri Lanka in 2000. She was upgraded with new armament in India before being delivered to the Sri Lanka Navy...
the flag ship of navy and from November 2001 to March 2005 he served as First Secretary (Defence Adviser) of Sri Lankan High Commission in New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
. As First Secretary in Sri Lanka High Commission in New Delhi, his outstanding effort to coordinate Indian Military assistance to Sri Lanka during Tsunami disaster in December 2004 was highly appreciated by both the governments.
Promoted to the rank of Commodore
Commodore
-Aircraft:*Consolidated Aircraft Commodore, a flying boat used for passenger travel in the 1930s-Animals:* Several species of brush-footed butterflies in the subfamily Limenitidinae, in particular A...
he served as Director Naval Operations, Director Naval Weapon Systems, Director Special Forces, Director Maritime Surveillance and the Commandant of Naval and Maritime Academy. As Director Naval Operations in 2007, he played a major role in the anti arms smuggling operations
Sri Lanka Navy anti arms smuggling operations
The Anti-arms smuggling operations were a series of highly successful deep sea operations launched by the Sri Lanka Navy to counter illegal arms shipments to Sri Lanka by the LTTE terrorists in 2008 by a fleet of rouge merchant ships...
that lead to the distraction of several LTTE gun running ships in the Indian Ocean. In 2009 he was promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
, youngest Rear Admiral in the Sri Lanka Navy. Thereafter he served as Flag Officer Commanding
Flag Officer
A flag officer is a commissioned officer in a nation's armed forces senior enough to be entitled to fly a flag to mark where the officer exercises command. The term usually refers to the senior officers in an English-speaking nation's navy, specifically those who hold any of the admiral ranks; in...
Naval Fleet, Director General Services, Commander Southern Naval Area and Commander Western Naval Area.
Rear Admiral Wijegunaratne has been awarded the Weerodara Vibhushanaya
Weerodara Vibhushanaya
The Weerodara Vibhushanaya medal and bar are the second highest Sri Lankan military decoration that is presented to soldiers and civilians as a reward for their individual acts of gallantry and prominent bravery of a most exceptional order performed which is of a non military nature of their own...
the highest award for non-combat bravery and the gallantry medals Rana Wickrama Padakkama
Rana Wickrama Padakkama
The Rana Wickrama Padakkama medal and bar are presented to Sri Lankan military officers and other ranks as a reward for individual or allied acts of heroism in facing the enemy and performed of their own accord.-How medal awarded:It is ordained that the decoration shall be granted to all ranks of...
and Rana Sura Padakkama
Rana Sura Padakkama
The Rana Sura Padakkama is a medal presented to members of all ranks of the Military of Sri Lanka for individual and/or associated acts of heroism in facing the enemy and performed of their own accord. The decoration is presented by the President of Sri Lanka...
for individual acts of bravery in combat, the service medals Uttama Seva Padakkama
Uttama Seva Padakkama
The Uttama Seva Padakkama is presented to all ranks of the Regular Forces of the Sri Lankan military for valuable service and dedication to duty with the outstanding ability, merit and excellent conduct, given that they count not less than 15 years continuous and uninterrupted service and possess...
and Sri Lanka Armed Services Long Service Medal
Sri Lanka Armed Services Long Service Medal
The Sri Lanka Armed Services Long Service Medal shall be granted to All regular officers and other ranks of the Sri Lanka Army, Sri Lanka Navy and Sri Lanka Air Force, who complete 12 years continuous service and whose character and conduct have been irreproachable and who are recommended by their...
.
A keen sportsman, he has represented the Sri Lanka Navy in Rugby Football, Sailing, Rowing and Musketry. He is a Sri Lanka Navy Coloursman in Rugby Football, Sailing and Rowing. He has also represented Britannia Royal Naval College, UK in Hockey in 1982. He is the current President of National Rifle Association of Sri Lanka.