New Commander of Air Force

Commander-in-Chief President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has appointed Air Force Chief of Staff Air Vice Marshal Sudarshana Pathirana as the 18th Commander of the Air Force.

The new Commander has received his letter of appointment from President Rajapaksa, and his appointment will come into effect today. He was promoted to the rank of Air Marshal.

Air Vice Marshal Pathirana is the 18th Commander of the Air Force, replacing former Commander Air Marshal Sumangala Dias, who will be retiring today.

Air Vice Marshal Sudarshana Karagoda Pathirana, born on 30 December 1965, is currently the Chief of Staff of the Air Force and is a proud product of Dharmaraja College Kandy. He joined the Air Force on 2 July 1985.

He has participated in almost all the major counter terrorist operations conducted in Sri Lanka, and his bravery has been acknowledged through the awarding of gallantry awards on six occasions, according to the Air Force.