Air Marshal Gagan Pulasthi Bulathsinghala was born on 12th September 1961. He joined the Sri Lanka Air Force as an Officer Cadet on 12th of February 1981 and was commissioned as a Pilot Officer in the General Duties Pilot Branch on 8th April 1983.
Air Marshal Bulathsinghala is a graduate of the Air Command & Staff College at Air University, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, USA and the prestigious National Defence College, New Delhi and holds Post graduate degrees of Master in Philosophy in Defence and Strategic Studies, University of Madras, Chennai, and a Master of Science Degree in Defence Studies in Management from Kothalawala Defence University, Sri Lanka. He is a fellow of Asia Pacific Center for Security Studies, Hawaii, the Near East South Asia Centre for Strategic Studies and National Defence University, Washington.
Air Marshal Bulathsinghala was the founding Commanding Officer of the No. 6 Helicopter Squadron and has had the privilege of being the longest serving Commanding Officer of the No. 4 VIP Squadron. He is a VVIP rated pilot with over 4500 flying hours and has had the honour of flying four heads of Sri Lanka during his tenure at the No. 4 Squadron. He has commanded the Sri Lanka Air Force Base China Bay.
He has served in various staff appointments at Air Force Headquarters during his career;which include Aide de Camp to the Commander of the Air Force, Staff Officer Air Operations I, Overall Operations Commander Air Defence and the Command Flight Safety Officer. In addition he has served as Staff Officer (Air) Joint Operations Command and as the Chief Instructor of the Air Wing at Defence Service Command and Staff College.He was appointed to the Air Force Board of Management as the Director Operations in year 2011 and thereafter as the Director Air Operations in year 2012. He was subsequently appointed as the Chief of Staff in year 2014. He was elevated to the rank of Air Marshal on 01st June 2015 and was appointed as the Commander of the Sri Lanka Air Force on 16th June 2015.
Air Marshal Bulathsinghala is a decorated helicopter pilot. His gallant and selfless contribution during the separatist conflict has earned him the prestigious “Rana Wickrama Padakkama” and the “Rana Sura Padakkama”. In recognition of his distinguished and exemplary service to the nation he has been awarded the “Uttama Seva Padakkama” in addition to the campaign and operational medals.
He was a member of the Sri Lanka Air Force Sport Council in the capacity as the Chairman Air Force Cycling and was the President Interim Committee of the Cycling Federation of Sri Lanka.
He is married to Samanthi and is blessed with a son and a daughter.
