18 Facts About Ravindra Wijegunaratne

Admiral Ravindra Chandrasiri Wijegunaratne, WV, RWP and Bar, RSP, VSV, USP, NI, ndc, psn, is a retired Sri Lankan admiral, and former Chief of Defence Staff of the Sri Lanka Armed Forces.

Ravindra Wijegunaratne has served as the Commander of the Sri Lankan Navy, Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Navy, the Director General of the Sri Lanka Coast Guard and held, at various times, four of the seven Naval Commands of the SLN.

Ravindra Wijegunaratne was the fourth Royalist to be appointed Commander of the SLN.

Ravindra Wijegunaratne completed officer training as a Midshipman at both Trincomalee and Dartmouth in 1982.

Ravindra Wijegunaratne would go on to follow a Sub-lieutenant technical course and specialize in anti-submarine warfare in India, and followed a staff course at the Pakistan Navy War College.

Ravindra Wijegunaratne was instrumental in forming the Sri Lanka Navy Marines.

Ravindra Wijegunaratne was appointed the Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Navy on 7 July 2014, and promoted to Vice Admiral and appointed Commander of the Navy on 11 July 2015.

On 18 August 2017, Ravindra Wijegunaratne was promoted to the rank of admiral and appointed Chief of Defense Staff in light of his upcoming retirement from active service.

Ravindra Wijegunaratne assumed duties as CDS on 22 August 2017.

Ravindra Wijegunaratne has held a diplomatic post as First Secretary and Defense Attache at the Sri Lankan High Commission in New Delhi between 2001 and 2005.

Ravindra Wijegunaratne has been a guest lecturer at the Center for Irregular Warfare and Armed Groups, US Naval War College and the Pakistan Navy War College.

Admiral Ravindra Wijegunaratne was appointed as the Sri Lankan High Commissioner to Pakistan by President Ranil Wickremesinghe in October 2023.

Ravindra Wijegunaratne's decorations include Weerodara Vibhushanaya, Rana Wickrama Padakkama twice, Rana Sura Padakkama for gallantry; Vishista Seva Vibhushanaya and Uttama Seva Padakkama for meritorious service, and the Surface Warfare Badge.

On 13 February 2019, Admiral Ravindra Wijegunaratne was awarded the Nishan-e-Imtiaz Medal by the President of Pakistan in Islamabad.

Ravindra Wijegunaratne is married to Yamuna De Saram and has one son, Satyajith.

Ravindra Wijegunaratne has been a keen sportsman since his childhood, and is a qualified diver and parachutist; a parachuting accident in 2001 led to Wijegunaratne breaking both legs.

Ravindra Wijegunaratne is an expert marksman, and has held the Chair of the Sri Lanka Rifle Association and the Sri Lanka Navy Golf Club.

Ravindra Wijegunaratne was alleged to have threatened and assaulted a journalist during an SLN intervention during a violent dockworkers' strike at the Hambantota Port in December 2016.