DIRECTOR GENERAL AIR OPERATIONS OF THE SLAF WAS APPOINTED
2:18pm on Friday 4th April 2025
Air Vice Marshal Deshapriya Silva was appointed as the Director General Air Operations of the Sri Lanka Air Force, with effect from today (04 April 2025). The Commander of the Air Force, Air Marshal Bandu Edirisinghe, officially handed over the letter of appointment to Air Vice Marshal Deshapriya Silva at the Air Force Headquarters today and conveyed his best wishes to the newly appointed Director General Air Operations.
Air Vice Marshal Deshapriya Silva is a proud alumnus at the 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 SLAF 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 including 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, the Base Commander at SLAF Base Katunayake and the Director General Training before being appointed as the Director General Air Operations in the Sri Lanka Air Force.
Air Vice Marshal Deshapriya Silva is a proud alumnus at the 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 SLAF 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 including 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, the Base Commander at SLAF Base Katunayake and the Director General Training before being appointed as the Director General Air Operations in the Sri Lanka Air Force.
