New Army Commander: Lt Gen. Premaratne

Lieutenant General K.V.N.P. Premaratne RSP, USP, nps, psc Appointed as New Commander of Sri Lanka Army

Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, has promoted Major General K.V.N.P. Premaratne RSP, USP, nps, psc, who has been serving as the Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army, to the rank of Lieutenant General and appointed him as the 26th Commander of the Sri Lanka Army.

The letter of appointment was presented to Lieutenant General Premaratne by the Secretary to the President, Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, at the Presidential Secretariat.

The appointment will take effect from 1 August. The incumbent Commander of the Sri Lanka Army, General Lasantha Rodrigo, is due to retire from office today (31).

An old boy of St Servatius’ College, Matara, Lieutenant General Premaratne joined the Sri Lanka Army as an Officer Cadet in 1990. Upon successfully completing his basic military training at the Sri Lanka Military Academy, Diyatalawa, in 1992, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant and was subsequently posted to the Sri Lanka Artillery Regiment.

Lieutenant General Premaratne holds a Master’s degree in Defense Studies from the Naval Postgraduate School in California, United States, and a Master of Defense Studies (M. Def. S) degree from the University of Kelaniya.

During his distinguished 36-year military career, Lieutenant General Premaratne has completed numerous professional and specialist military training programs in Sri Lanka and overseas. In recognition of his exceptional gallantry during the humanitarian operation, he has been awarded the Rana Sura Padakkama (RSP) on two occasions. He has also been awarded the Uttama Seva Padakkama (USP) in recognition of his distinguished service to the Sri Lanka Army.