Outgoing Navy Chief a role model for exemplary service - Defence Secretary
July 13, 2020
Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) under the strong leadership of its Commander Vice Admiral Piyal de Silva was able to apprehend country’s largest smuggled drug haul at sea, Defence Secretary Maj.Gen. (Retd) Kamal Gunaratne said.
Commending Vice Admiral De Silva’s contribution to the SLN by initiating the action plan to deploy capital ships far away from the shores to monitor illegal activities at sea stands, he said SLN, which apprehended huge quantities of smuggled drugs and narcotics at sea by applying productive strategies, would have been a dream without the guidance of Vice Admiral De Silva.
Delivering the farewell address at the felicitation ceremony held for the outgoing SLN Commander Vice Admiral De Silva at the Defence Ministry today (July 13), the Defence Secretary said he was a role model as the SLN Commander, who had been able to sail the Navy towards the right direction during a very crucial period.
“He was able to steer the SLN towards many significant achievements such as developing the first ever Maritime Doctrine of Sri Lanka, establishment of first ever under water museums and diving sites at Galle and Trincomalee, construction of landing craft utility and 20m long patrol boats indigenously at Naval Boat Building Yard,” he said commending the contribution made by the SLN led by Vice Admiral De Silva to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.
“He was able to take prompt preventive measures to curtail further spread of the virus among the SLN. I extend my wholehearted gratitude to you for your great determination as a strong military leader,” the Defence Secretary said.
Maj.Gen. Gunaratne said bidding farewell to those leave the organisation was a long practiced custom historically followed by the military and the Ministry had commenced the same practice from today with bidding farewell to the great naval officer Vice Admiral De Silva, who had contributed an exemplary service to the nation for over 36-years in different capacities in the SLN.
Vice Admiral De Silva was appointed as the 23rd Commander of the Navy on January 1, 2019. The Navy Chief is also a proficient diver who has been instrumental in the development and revolutionizing the SLN’s diving professionals over the years.
The Navy Chief was also instrumental in the swift restoration of the St. Anthony’s Church at Kochchikade following the brutal Easter Sunday suicide bombings, last year.
Vice Admiral De Silva while expressing his gratitude to the Defence Secretary, senior defence officials and all others gathered at the event said that the leadership provided from the top administration was a key in delivering results during his tenure as the Navy Commander.
Recalling his years as a naval cadet, the Navy Chief said that though he had many drawbacks compared to his contemporaries during his training, he was always determined to succeed and that zest had never faded through his career.
In a final note, Vice Admiral De Silva mentioned that he had prepared a concept paper that dwells into bridging the Colombo Port City, the Beira Lake and the surrounding environment into a tourist attraction site that has potential to contribute to the national coffers.
Marking the occasion, a memento was presented to the outgoing Navy Chief by Defence Secretary Maj. Gen Gunaratne while a special memento was also presented to the Chairperson of the Navy Seva Vanitha Unit Arundathi Jayaneththi by the MOD Seva Vanitha Unit Chairperson Chitrani Gunaratne.
Acting Chief of Defence Staff and Commander of the Army and Sujeewa Nelson, Commander of the Air Force and Prabavi Dias, Acting Inspector General of Police and Priyangi Wickramarathne, Additional Secretaries of the Ministry, Chief of National Intelligence and senior military officials were also present at the occasion.
Additional Secretary (Defence) P.B.S.C Nonis delivered the welcome speech.
