page_title: Sri Lanka Marine Corps
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Sri Lanka Marine Corps / History
caption_attribution_description: English: Vice Admiral Ravindra C. Wijegunaratne, Commander of the Sri Lankan Navy, listens during a discussion at the USPACOM Amphibious Leaders Symposium 2016 (PALS-16) at sea, near Camp Pendleton, Calif., on July 13, 2016. PALS brings together senior leaders of allied and partner nations from the Indo-Asia Pacific region to discuss key aspects of maritime/amphibious operations, capability development, crisis response, and interoperability. Twenty-two countries, including the U.S., are participating. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Danny Gonzalez/Released)
context_page_description: Sri Lanka Marine Corps was formed in 2016 under the assistance of the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit of the United States Marine Corps in November 2016 and received further training from the Commando Regiment of Sri Lanka Army.
  The first group consisting of 164 Marines including six officers and 158 sailors passed out on 27 February 2017 in Naval Base SLNS Barana in Mullikulam in a ceremony attended by the President Maithripala Sirisena, Commander of the Navy Vice Admiral Ravindra Wijegunaratne alongside the tri-force Commanders and senior officers. On July 29, 2017, Vice Admiral Wijegunarathna declared open the new Marine Headquarters, SLNS Vidura in Sampoor, Trincomalee.
context_section_description: Vice Admiral Ravindra Wijegunaratne  WV, RWP & Bar, RSP, VSV, USP, NI(M), ndc, psn former Chief of Defence Staff of the Sri Lanka Armed Forces. and former Commander of the Sri Lankan Navy was the founder of Sri Lanka Marine Corps. In 2016, Vice Admiral Wijegunaratne was able to take part in the US Pacific Command Amphibious Leaders Symposium in San Diego, California. Here naval leaders discussed new trends in amphibious operations. The Sri Lankan commander had already envisioned establishing a Marine element to enhance naval operations and the conference was a springboard for the new mission.
  With the arrival of the amphibious transport dock USS Somerset (LPD-25) to Trincomalee, the men of the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit began an exchange of training for local sailors drawn from the Patrolman Branch. The rigorous training would test the sailors mentally and challenge them physically. Endurance training is a key element of a Marine.
caption: Vice Admiral Wijegunaratne in US Pacific Command Amphibious Leaders Symposium in San Diego, California.[8]
exif: {"Image ImageDescription": "Vice Admiral Ravindra C. Wijegunaratne, Commander of the Sri Lankan Navy, listens during a discussion at the USPACOM Amphibious Leaders Symposium 2016 (PALS-16) at sea, near Camp Pendleton, Calif., on July 13, 2016. PALS brings together senior leaders of allied and partner nations from the Indo-Asia Pacific region to discuss key aspects of maritime/amphibious operations, capability development, crisis response, and interoperability. Twenty-two countries, including the U.S., are participating. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Danny Gonzalez/Released)", "Image Make": "Canon", "Image Model": "Canon EOS 5D Mark III", "Image XResolution": "240", "Image YResolution": "240", "Image ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Image Artist": "Lance Cpl. Danny Gonzalez", "Image Copyright": "Public Domain", "Image ExifOffset": "250", "Thumbnail Compression": "JPEG (old-style)", "Thumbnail XResolution": "240", "Thumbnail YResolution": "240", "Thumbnail ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormat": "896", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormatLength": "12250", "EXIF ExposureTime": "1/250", "EXIF FNumber": "9/2", "EXIF ExposureProgram": "Aperture Priority", "EXIF ISOSpeedRatings": "200", "EXIF SensitivityType": "Recommended Exposure Index", "EXIF RecommendedExposureIndex": "200", "EXIF ExifVersion": "0230", "EXIF ShutterSpeedValue": "995723/125000", "EXIF ApertureValue": "86797/20000", "EXIF ExposureBiasValue": "0", "EXIF MaxApertureValue": "3", "EXIF MeteringMode": "Pattern", "EXIF Flash": "Flash did not fire, compulsory flash mode", "EXIF FocalLength": "123", "EXIF FocalPlaneXResolution": "160", "EXIF FocalPlaneYResolution": "160", "EXIF FocalPlaneResolutionUnit": "4", "EXIF CustomRendered": "Normal", "EXIF ExposureMode": "Auto Exposure", "EXIF WhiteBalance": "Auto", "EXIF SceneCaptureType": "Standard", "EXIF BodySerialNumber": "062024013306", "EXIF LensSpecification": "[70, 200, 0/0, 0/0]", "EXIF LensModel": "EF70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM", "EXIF LensSerialNumber": "0000c1cc9d"}