Jayantha Perera

Educated at Thurstan College, Colombo, Perera enlisted in the Sri Lanka Navy on 23 August 1978.^[3][4] Completing basic training at the Naval and Maritime Academy in Trincomalee in 1979, he went on to specialize in gunnery at INS Dronacharya in Kochi, India.^[3] In 1996, he completed an MSc in Defense Studies at the University of Madras, and would earn another MSc in Defense & Strategic Studies at the National Defence University in Islamabad.^[3]

Perera commanded the SLN flagship SLNS Sayura in the 2000-2003 period and was the Flag officer commanding the naval fleet from 2006 to 2007 based at Trincomalee, simultaneously serving as Deputy Area Commander for the Eastern Command.^[3][5] Other staff appointments he has held at various times include:

• Director Naval Operations and Naval Special Forces
• Director Naval Weapons
• Deputy Director of Naval Intelligence
• Deputy Director of Naval Training
• Media Spokesman for the SLN
• Principal Staff Officer to the Chief of Defence Staff

He has held, in order, the SLN's Southern and Western Commands in the 2007-2009 period, and following a brief three-month stint as the navy's Director General- Services, was appointed Director General- Operations- a position he occupied until July 2013, when he was appointed Chief of Staff of the SLN.^[3][4][5] He was awarded the Rana Wickrama Padakkama the same year^[6]

He was appointed Commander of the Navy on 1 July 2014, and was promoted to the rank of admiral on his retirement from duty on 9 July 2015.^[3][7][8][9]