President appoints new Air Force Chief

President Maithripala Sirisena yesterday appointed Air Vice Marshal Kapila Jayampathy as the new Air Force Commander. Jayampathy has been promoted to the rank of Air Marshal.

Air Marshal Jayampathy replaces the former Commander Air Marshal Gagana Bulathsinhala who retired at the age of 55.

Jayampathy, who received his education from Nalanda College in Colombo, joined the Sri Lanka Air Force on 5 March, 1982 as an officer cadet and was commissioned as a Pilot Officer in General Duties branch of No 4 Squadron Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF).

In January 2005 he was appointed as the Defence Advisor to the Sri Lankan High Commission in Islamabad, Pakistan.

In December 2009, he took over duties as the Base Commander Sri Lanka Air Force Base China Bay.

Later, when the SLAF Base China Bay was upgraded and renamed as the Air Force Academy, he was re-designated as Commandant of the Air Force Academy.

He served as the Director of Operations for the Sri Lanka Air Force prior to his appointment as the Commander.