Course No 16 commenced in January this year and concluded in December. A total of 127 officers comprising 76 Officers from the Sri Lanka Army, 26 Officers from the Sri Lanka Navy, and 25 Officers from the Sri Lanka Air Force graduated at yesterday’s ceremony. In addition, 11 foreign graduates from Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Oman, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Senegal and Zambia were among those who graduated on this occasion.

Addressing the gathering, President Ranil Wickremesinghe said that today’s warfare is not confrontational between armies, but it is economic, cultural and technological.

He noted that being a weak country does not mean it is weak militarily. “You cannot be weak economically. So this is why I have set about these new reforms which will make us economically strong by 2050.”

For this, he said that regional cooperation is vital for stability in the Indian Ocean region.
The Defence Services Command and Staff College (DSCSC) is the highest seat of military learning for middle-grade officers of the Tri Forces and was established to develop the professional knowledge and understanding of selected Student Officers both in Command and on the Staff where all military doctrinal and strategic level planning and teachings were brought under one roof, as practised by many other Armed Forces of the world.

Senior Advisor to the President on National Security and Chief of Staff of the President Sagala Ratnayake, Defence Ministry Secretary, General Kamal Gunaratne (Retired), Chief of Defence Staff General Shavendra Silva, Air Force Commander Air Marshal Sudarshana Pathirana, Navy Commander Vice Admiral Nishantha Ulugetenne, Army Commander Lt. Gen. Vikum Liyanage, Vice Chancellor General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University Major General Milinda Peiris, Security Service Command and Staff College Commandant Major General BKGML Rodrigo, Inspector General of Police C.D. Mr Wickramaratne and others participated in this event.

President Media Division (PMD)