Kanchana Banagoda

Admiral
Kanchana Banagoda
RSP USP
Banagoda in 2025
26th Commander of the Navy
In office
31 December 2024 – 1 July 2026
PresidentAnura Kumara Dissanayake
Preceded byPriyantha Perera
Succeeded byDamian Fernando
Chief of Staff of the Navy
In office
16 August 2024 – 31 August 2024
Commander of the NavyPriyantha Perera
Preceded byPradeep Rathnayake
Succeeded byDamian Fernando
Personal details
SpouseAnusha Banagoda
Alma mater
Military service
Allegiance Sri Lanka
Branch/service Sri Lanka Navy
Years of service
1989–2026
Rank Admiral
Commands
  • Director Naval Training
  • Commander Southeastern Naval Area (SENA)
  • Commander North Central Naval Area (NCNA)
  • Commander Northern Naval Area (NNA)
Battles/wars
Awards

Admiral Kanchana Banagoda, RSP, USP, is a Sri Lankan retired naval officer, who served as the 26th Commander of the Navy from 31 December 2024 till 1 July 2026.[1][2][3]

Banagoda is an alumnus of Bandarawela Central College and S. Thomas' College, Bandarawela.[1] He joined the Sri Lanka Navy on 15 September 1989 as an officer cadet in the 19th intake of the executive branch. After completing basic training at the Naval and Maritime Academy in Trincomalee, he attended Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth, United Kingdom and was commissioned in 1991 as a Sub-lieutenant.[1][4]

He completed the 'Sub Lieutenant Technical Course' at the Naval and Maritime Academy in 1994 and the Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) course at INS Venduruthy, Kochi, India, in 2000.[1][4] He also completed a staff course at the Defence Services Command and Staff College (DSCSC) in Dhaka, Bangladesh.[5]

Banagoda was appointed Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Navy on 16 August 2024 and served in that role until his appointment as Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy on 31 December 2024.[1][4][6]

Commander of the Navy

Banagoda was promoted to the rank of vice admiral and appointed the 26th Commander of the Navy on 31 December 2026 by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.[1][2] He was promoted admiral on 30 June 2026 and retired from services with effect from 1 July 2026.[3] Damian Fernando succeeded him as the 27th Commander of the Navy.[7]

Awards and decorations

Rana Sura PadakkamaUththama Seva PadakkamaSri Lanka Navy 50th Anniversary MedalSri Lanka Armed Services Long Service Medal
50th Independence Anniversary Commemoration Medal75th Independence Day Commemoration MedalSewabhimani PadakkamaSewa Padakkama
Eastern Humanitarian Operations Medal Northern Humanitarian Operations Medal Purna Bhumi Padakkama
North and East Operations MedalRiviresa Campaign Services Medal

Notes

  • "Biography: Admiral Kanchana Banagoda, RSP, USP, ndc, psc". Sri Lanka Navy. Archived from the original on 30 June 2026. Retrieved 30 June 2026.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Vice Admiral Kanchana Banagoda assumes command as 26th Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy". news.navy.lk. 31 December 2024. Archived from the original on 13 February 2025. Retrieved 13 February 2025.
  2. 1 2 "New Navy Commander assumes duties". Times Online. 31 December 2024. Archived from the original on 13 February 2025. Retrieved 13 February 2025.
  3. 1 2 "Navy Commander Kanchana Banagoda promoted to Admiral ahead of retirement". Daily Mirror. 30 June 2026. Archived from the original on 30 June 2026. Retrieved 30 June 2026.
  4. 1 2 3 "Rear Admiral Kanchana Banagoda appointed as Chief of Staff of Sri Lanka Navy". news.navy.lk. 27 August 2024. Archived from the original on 19 November 2024. Retrieved 13 February 2025.
  5. ↑ "Vice Admiral Kanchana Banagoda assumes command as 26th Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy". news.lk. 31 December 2024. Archived from the original on 2 February 2025. Retrieved 13 February 2025.
  6. ↑ "Rear Admiral Kanchana Banagoda appointed Chief of Staff of SL Navy". Newswire. 27 August 2024. Archived from the original on 15 September 2024. Retrieved 13 February 2025.
  7. ↑ "Vice Admiral Damian Fernando Appointed as Sri Lanka's 27th Navy Commander". Newsfirst. 30 June 2026. Archived from the original on 30 June 2026. Retrieved 30 June 2026.
This page is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.