Air Vice Marshal SDGM SILVA

WWV, RSP, USP, MSC (Mil Stu), MSC (Strat Stu), MA IN IS&S (UK)BSC (Def Stu), PG Dip (IR), rcds, fawc, psc

Air Vice Marshal Deshapriya Silva got his education from Saint Sebastian’s College in Moratuwa. He joined the Sir John Kotelawala Defence Academy as an Officer Cadet in 1993 and later was commissioned into the Sri Lanka Air Force as a Flying Officer in the General Duties Pilot Branch.

He has obtained a Bachelor of Science Degree (Defence Studies) in Electrical Engineering, two Master of Science Degrees in Strategic Studies at the National Defence University of Pakistan, Military Studies at the Bangladesh University of Professionals and has obtained the Master of Arts in International Security and Strategy at King’s College, United Kingdom. He has also obtained a Post Graduate Diploma in International Relations from the Bandaranaike Centre for International Studies. He is also an alumnus of the Royal College of Defence Studies, United Kingdom; the Asia Pacific Centre for Security Studies, Hawaii; the Geneva Center for Security Policy, Defence Services Command and Staff College, Bangladesh; and a fellow of the Air War College, Pakistan. Further, he has presented two papers at the inaugural Air Symposium of the Sri Lanka Air Force held in 2015 and at the International Air Power Symposium of the Pakistan Air Force in 2016.

Air Vice Marshal Silva has flown both fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft for the Sri Lanka Air Force and has commanded No. 09 Attack Helicopter Squadron and No. 06 Helicopter Squadron. For the acts of bravery, he was awarded two gallantry medals: Weera Wickrama Vibhushanaya and Rana Sura Paddakkama.

He held key appointments, which included the Defence Services Command and Staff College as the Air Wing's Directing Staff and Head of Training Team, the Commanding Officer of Junior Command and Staff College, the Commanding Officer of SLAF Station Palaly, the Base Commander of SLAF Base Vavuniya and SLAF Base Anuradhapura, the Senior Air Staff Officer at the Directorate of Air Operations, Sri Lanka Air Force Headquarters, the Commandant of SLAF Academy China Bay and the Base Commander at SLAF Base Katunayake before being appointed as the Director General Training in the Sri Lanka Air Force.    

He is married to Nirmala and blessed with two lovely daughters namely, Venumi and Vinara.