• Says Joint Coordinated Action Plan will be formulated

 The Sri Lankan armed forces need to improve its cross-service cooperation in line with global military trends, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Shavendra Silva told Security Forces Headquarters (Mullaitivu) yesterday (19).

The CDS’s statement comes in the wake of the government’s move to initiate long overdue defence reforms, through “Defence 2030 review’. Although the review process is in its early stages, The Daily Morning reliably learns that the government is keen on integrating the branches of the armed forces to create a more streamlined, cohesive force to meet the future security requirements of Sri Lanka. It is also understood that the Government plans to execute a number of changes to the defence organisational structure in near future. 

Addressing the forces attached to the Mullatthivu command, Gen Silva had stated that President Ranil Wickemesinghe and the National Security Advisor Sagala Rathnayake were keen on improving coordination among the armed forces, Police, and STF, aimed at improving their effectiveness.  “Accordingly, he stated that the OCDS has initiated a Joint Coordinated Action Plan to achieve better results more effectively in addressing any eventualities” the Office of the CDS reported.

The Government last November stated that the armed forces will be right-sized to meet future national security challenges, and plans to reduce the cadre of the Sri Lanka Army to 100,000 by 2030. Sri Lanka’s continued high expenditure on defence, after the end of the conflict in 2009 has long been criticised by many.