| Unit Name: | Sri Lanka Signals Corps |
| Dates: | 19 October 1943 - Present |
| Country: |  Sri Lanka |
| Type: | Signal corps |
| Role: | Military communications Electronic warfare Information technology support Cyberwarfare |
| Size: | 1 signal brigade 10 regular regiments 1 volunteer regiment |
| Garrison: | Panagoda Cantonment, Homagama |
| Garrison Label: | Regimental Headquarters |
| Nickname: | SLSC |
| Motto: | ස්ථීර ක්ෂණික Sthira Kshanika (Sinhala: Swift and Sure) |
| March: | Begone Dull Care |
| Battles: | Sri Lankan Civil War United Nations Stabilisation Mission in Haiti Insurrection 1987-89 1971 Insurrection World War II |
| Anniversaries: | 19 October |
| Commander1: | Brigadier GS Fonseka USP psc |
| Commander1 Label: | Centre Commandant |
| Commander2: | Warrant officer E M S C Ekanayaka |
| Commander2 Label: | Regimental Sergeant Major |
| Notable Commanders: | Lieutenant Colonel D.V. Brohier (First Commanding Officer) Major General W.J.T.K. Fernando Major General C.J. Abayaratne Major General A.M.C.W.B. Senewiratne Major General Y.S.A. de Silva Major General T.F. Meedin RSP, Ldmc Major General K.A.W.S. Ratnayake ndu |
| Identification Symbol Label: | Flag |
| Native Name: | Sinhala; Sinhalese: ශ්රී ලංකා සංඥා බලකාය |
| Colonel Of The Regiment: | Major General K.A.W.S. Ratnayake ndu |
The Sri Lanka Signals Corps (SLSC) (Sinhalese: ශ්රී ලංකා සංඥා බලකාය Shri Lanka Sana Balakaya) is a combat support corps of the Sri Lanka Army,[1] responsible for providing military communications, information technology and electronic warfare support. The corps is made up of a signals brigade, ten regular regiments and one volunteer regiment. It is responsible for installing, maintaining and operating all types of telecommunications equipment and information systems. It is headquartered at the Panagoda Cantonment.
Colonel Commandant of the SL Signals and Chief Signal Officer of the Sri Lanka Army is Major General HMLD Herath RSP USP psc. Brigadier BI Assalaratchi USP psc is Commander Signals Brigade, operationally in charge of all units and sub-units in the field.
The flag and cap badge feature Mercury, the winged messenger of the gods, who is referred to by members of the corps as "Jimmy".
Established on October 19, 1943, as a part of the Ceylon Defence Force[2] it was reformed as a troop of signals February 9, 1950 following the formation of the Ceylon Army in 1949. The initial task of this troop was to provide communications between Army HQ and its branches. In 1949, the Volunteer Signals unit was commanded by Lt Col CR De Silva. By the end of 1950 this troop had 1 Officer and 17 other ranks and their tasks included establishing a signals office at Army HQ, provision of a signal dispatch service, manning a switch board and the construction and maintenance of underground as well as field cables. In May 1951 another Signals Office was established in Diyatalawa to serve the Garrison HQ which was just formed at that time. By October 1, 1951, the troop was raised to a squadron with a strength of 4 officers and 142 other ranks.
In 1951 formal approval was granted to wear the Royal Signals badges with the additional scroll "CEYLON" on it and to adopt the Royal Signals march Begone Dull Care as the regimental march of the Ceylon Signals Corps and in 1959 the 1st Regiment of the Ceylon Signals was formed with Lt Col DV Brohier was appointed as its first Commanding Officer. In 1962 following the attempted military coup the 2nd volunteer signal regiment was disbanded and its remaining personnel transferred to form the National Service Regiment (NSR).
In 1972 with Sri Lanka proclaiming itself a republic, the Corps was renamed as the Sri Lanka Signals Corps. In 1980 a new Volunteer squadron was raised. The Corps has expanded to a level of a Signals Brigade with integral signals units under HQ Chief Signal Officer at the highest level of command in performing the classic role. The Signals Corps provides support to the combat and support arms by providing communications, electronic warfare and information technology support in the battle field and at the rear. All these signal units and sub-units administratively come under the aegis of the Regimental Centre located at Panagoda Cantonment.
| Unit | Established | Commanding Officer | Base | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HQ Chief Signal Officer | 6 June 2022 | Major General KAWS Ratnayake ndu | Army Headquarters - Akuregoda | |
| Directorate of Information Technology | 1 March 2010 | Colonel HDJP Weerathunga | Panagoda Cantonment | |
| HQ Signal Brigade | 1 June 1988 | (Sri Lanka) | Panagoda Cantonment | |
| Centre Commandant | 19 October 1990 | Colonel AKD Adikari USP | Panagoda Cantonment | |
| 1 SLSC | 14 October 1958 | Lieutenant Colonel PAR Anthonis psc | Mullaitivu | |
| 3 SLSC | 9 March 1989 | Lieutenant Colonel Lt Col ULCD Perera psc | Palaly | |
| 4 SLSC | 1 April 1991 | Lieutenant colonel RDRM Fernando RSP USP psc | Anuradhapura | |
| 5 SLSC | 1 March 1994 | Lieutenant Colonel SALI Jayasena psc | Padukka | |
| 6 SLSC (IT) | 3 December 1996 (RFT Unit)16 June 2014 (Information Technology Unit) | Lieutenant Colonel W P D N Abeyrathne | Jaffna | |
| 7 SLSC | 23 August 2022 | Maj DSL Kumarasiri | Diyatalawa | |
| 9 SLSC | 21 April 2008 | Lieutenant colonel BMMB Herath RSP USP | Kilinochchi | |
| 10 SLSC (CT) | 13 August 2000 (as the Signal Base workshop)24 April 2015 | Lieutenant Colonel HMBMB Herath USP | Panagoda Cantonment | |
| 11 SLSC (IT) | 23 August 1990 (as the Electronic Data Processing Unit)21 September 2010 | Lieutenant Colonel AMCK Gunathilake | Panagoda Cantonment | |
| 12 SLSC (CS) | 10 July 2015 | Colonel KVP Dhammika USP ptsc | Panagoda Cantonment | |
| 2 (V) SLSC | 7 August 1980 (as the 1st (Volunteer) Squadron)13 April 1999 | Maj KVA Kodikara psc | Dalukana |
The corps also runs a School of Signals[3] in Kandy, established on 15 July 1991. The school is currently under the command of Col SJKD Jayawardena USP psc, with Major KVA Kodikara psc serving as chief instructor. The Sri Lanka Army established a Directorate of Information Technology under the Signal Corps on 1 March 2010; its current director is Major General P A J Peiris ndu.
| Name | From | To | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colonel K.A. Gnanaweera | 1990.10.19 | 1992.10.01 | |
| Colonel H.G.N. Padmasiri | 1992.10.01 | 1994.09.01 | |
| Colonel M.A. Wipulaguna | 1994.09.01 | 1996.10.19 | |
| Colonel K.S. Liyanage | 1997.02.05 | 1999.01.13 | |
| Colonel Piyal Abeysekera | 1999.01.13 | 1999.11.11 | |
| Lieutenant Colonel A.T. Banagoda | 1999.11.11 | 2001.04.06 | |
| Colonel H.M.H.A. Herath | 2001.04.06 | 2002.05.08 | |
| Colonel T.F. Meedin RSP Ldmc MMS MIT | 2002.05.08 | 2003.08.10 | |
| Colonel S.A.P.P. Samarasinghe | 2003.08.10 | 2005.01.03 | |
| Colonel R.A. Kaduwela | 2005.01.03 | 2006.02.08 | |
| Colonel K.R.P. Rowel | 2006.02.08 | 2007.11.30 | |
| Colonel R.A.S. Ranasinghe | 2007.12.06 | 2009.10.30 | |
| Colonel M.T. Vaidyaratne | 2009.10.30 | 2010.04.24 | |
| Colonel D.R. Dharmasiri | 2010.04.24 | 2010.06.10 | |
| Colonel H.P. Seneviratne | 2010.06.10 | 2010.10.05 | |
| Brigadier HP Seneviratne | 2010.10.05 | 2011.02.06 | |
| Lieutenant Colonel L.S.P. Perera (Officiating) | 2011.02.06 | 2011.05.02 | |
| Colonel D.R. Dharmasiri | 2011.05.02 | 2014. 07.25 | |
| Colonel N.P. Akuranthilake | 2014.07.25 | 2017. 01.10 | |
| Brigadier P.A.J. Peiris | 2017.01.10 | 2018.07.18 | |
| Brigadier L.S.P Perera USP | 2018.07.18 | 2020.09.22 | |
| Brigadier G.G.A. Gunasekara USP | 2020.09.23 | 2021.09.14 | |
| Brigadier GS Fonseka USP psc | 2021.09.21 | 2023.01.04 | |
| Brigadier BI Assalaratchi USP psc | 2023.01.04 | 2023.01.19 | |
| Colonel AKD Adikari USP | 2023.01.19 | Up to date |
| Name | From | To | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brigadier C.J. Abeyratne | 1988.07.15 | 1991.04.01 | |
| Brigadier F.C.J. De Silva | 1991.04.02 | 1991.10.15 | |
| Brigadier C.J. Abeyratne | 1991.10.16 | 1992.05.01 | |
| Colonel K.A. Gnanaweera | 1992.05.02 | 1993.06.27 | |
| Colonel H.G.N. Padmasiri | 1993.06.28 | 1993.12.01 | |
| Brigadier A.M.C.W.B. Seneviratne | 1993.12.02 | 1994.05.01 | |
| Colonel H.G.N. Padmasiri | 1994.05.02 | 1996.10.20 | |
| Colonel M.A. Wipulaguna | 1996.10.21 | 1996.12.11 | |
| Colonel W.D.N. Premasiri | 1996.12.12 | 1999.02.20 | |
| Colonel Y.S.A. de Silva | 1999.02.21 | 2003.03.12 | |
| Colonel Piyal Abeysekera | 2003.03.13 | 2003.08.21 | |
| Brigadier Y.S.A. de Silva | 2003.08.22 | 2004.05.14 | |
| Brigadier Piyal Abeysekera | 2004.07.29 | 2005.12.26 | |
| Brigadier T.F. Meedin RSP Ldmc MMS MIT | 2005.12.27 | 2009.07.21 | |
| Major General S A P P Samarasinghe RSP psc | 2009.07.22 | 2011.08.29 | |
| Major General R A Kaduwela | 2011.08.30 | 2013.04.10 | |
| Major General K R P Rowel RWP USP ndu psc | 2013.10.04 | 2017.04.11 | |
| Major General B H M A Wijesinghe USP ndu psc | 2017.04.11 | 2019.04.26 | |
| Major General N M Hettiarachchi USP psc Hdmc MMS | 2019.04.26 | 2020.02.24 | |
| Major General D A P N Dematanpitiya ndu psc | 2020.02.26 | 2021.01.14 | |
| Major General P A J Peiris ndu | 2021.01.15 | 2022.05.05 | |
| Major General HMLD Herath RSP USP psc | 2022.05.06 | 2023.03.02 | |
| Major General K.A.W.S. Ratnayake ndu | 2023.03.03 | 2024.01.01 |