Sri Lanka Armed Forces

Military of Sri Lanka
File:Sri lanka coa.png
Military Manpower
Active troops	152,300 (Ranked 32nd)
Military Volunteer age	18 years of age
Availability	males age 18-49: 4,933,217 (2005 est.)
Fit for military service	males age 18-49: 3,789,627 (2005 est.)
Reaching volunteer age annually	males: 174,049 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures
USD figure	514.8 million US $ (2004 est.)
Percent of GDP	2.6% (2004 est.)
Military branches
File:SLARMYFLAG1.gif	Sri Lankan Army
	Sri Lankan Navy
File:SLAFflag.gif	Sri Lankan Air Force

The Military of Sri Lanka consists of Three Branches which are the Army, Navy, Air Force. It grew from a ceremonial force after the independence from the British empire to a highly trained and highly motivated Armed force. The training and sophistication of the Sri Lankan Armed forces is shown through its hard battles fought against one of the most deadliest terrorist groups in the world, the LTTE or better known as the Tamil Tigers. The Military of Sri Lanka has taken part in many wars throughout its history, including the Boer Wars and both World Wars (under the command of the British at the time). Since independence, however, its primary missions have been counter-insurgency, targeting armed groups within the country, most notably the LTTE and at one point the former nationalist insurgent group, the JVP.

Strategic Importance

The posture of the military has been defensive due to the nature of the strategic threats to the Sri Lanka. In the short-term, internal security is considered the main threat to the nation's future. In the long-term, the threat is seen as primarily external from current and future superpowers in their rival quests for dominance of the Indian Ocean; at one point these were the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. However, due to collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the external threats now involve future superpowers India and China. The signing of the Indo-Sri Lanka Peace Accord eased these concerns.[1]

Training

The Sri Lankan military has apparently received training assistance from other nations such as Australia, the United Kingdom, Israel, the United States, India, Pakistan, and South Africa. There have even been claims that soldiers from some of those countries have taken part in operations, but this has not been proven. [2]

Recent History

During the months of December 2005 and January 2006, the Sri Lankan security forces came under heavy sporadic attacks, suffering more than 70 dead. It is widely believed that the LTTE was behind the attacks in an attempt to provoke the government of Sri Lanka to return to war. The International Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission has confirmed the LTTE connections to the attacks. They recently filed a report stating the LTTE had violated the ceasefire 3,471 occasions during the past four years.[3] The security forces on the other hand have violated the ceasefire 162 times in the same period. The complaints against them have not been as serious as those of carried out by LTTE. [4] However the President Mahinda Rajapaksa has ordered all forces to maintain defensive positions in a bid to avoid war and preserve the current ceasefire, but has warned that this move should not be mistaken for weakness on the part of his government. The United States ambassador to Sri Lanka has warned the that the cost of war would be high for the LTTE. They have said they would continue to assist the government preserve peace by maintaining their military training. India has also given assurances that they will try and make sure resumption of war is also avoided.[5]

New attacks began in April 2006, and a low-intensity conflict ensued between the Sri Lankan military and the LTTE.

Awards & Decorations

The Sri Lankan forces has a proud history of gallantry dating back to its hard fought battles during World War 2 to recent times against the Tamil Tigers. The most prestigious decoration is Parama Weera Vibhushanaya which is awarded to soldiers, sailors and airmen who have shown individual gallantry in the face of danger and risk their own lives to save the lives of their comrades. The armed forces especially the Army awards soldiers that have taken part in very high-risk operations such as Operation Riviresa.