New Commander of Air Force assumes office today

Secretary to the President Saman Ekanayake handing over the appointment letter to the new Commander of Air Force Udeni Rajapaksa at the Presidential Secretariat on Wednesday

Commander-in-Chief President Ranil Wickremesinghe has appointed Air Vice Marshal R. A. Udeni Rajapaksa as the 19th Commander of the Air Force.

In recognition of his exceptional service and line with his new appointment as the Commander, President Wickremesinghe has promoted Air Vice Marshal Udeni Rajapaksa, 

to the rank of Air Marshal, effective from today (30).

As the 19th Air Force Commander of the country, Air Vice Marshal Udeni Rajapaksa proudly represents his alma mater, Ananda College, Colombo, being the first Air Force Commander to be appointed from Ananda College. 

His journey began in 1988 when he joined the Kotalawala Defence College as a Cadet and, subsequently he excelled in flight training at the Anuradhapura Camp No. 01, achieving the distinction of being the best Cadet in the 33rd Air Cadet Course.

 With a combination of local and foreign training, he demonstrated outstanding performance as a flight officer. 

Prior his current appointment, he held the second position of command within the Air Force as the Chief of Staff, and now assumes the prestigious role of Air Force Commander.