Chief of the Defence Staff (Sri Lanka)
The Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) is the most senior appointment in the Sri Lankan Armed Forces, and the highest-ranking military officer in service, outranking the heads of each service branch. The CDS does not, however, have operational command authority over service branches, but rather oversees inter-service co-operation and develops and implements the joint operations doctrine of the Sri Lankan armed forces. Coordination of inter-service joint operations are handled by the Office of the Chief of the Defence Staff, formally known as the Joint Operations Headquarters.
| Chief of the Defence Staff | |
|---|---|
| Sri Lanka Armed Forces | |
| Member of | National Security Council |
| Reports to | President of Sri Lanka Minister of Defence |
| Seat | Office of the Chief of Defence Staff, Block No. 5, BMICH, Bauddhaloka mawatha, Colombo 7 |
| Appointer | The President |
| Term length | Term of two years. An officer serving as the CDS shall be eligible to be re-appointed for one more term of two years. In a time of emergency, the President may re- appoint the officer serving as the CDS for any number of such terms of office. |
| Constituting instrument | Chief of Defence Staff Act, No. 35 of 2009 |
| Formation | 11 February 1985 as General Officer Commanding, Joint Operations Command |
| First holder | General Tissa Weeratunga (as GOC-JOC) |
| Website | Official website |
The CDS is the Chairman of a Committee made up of service commanders and is a member of the National Security Council.
It's subordinate command is known as the Overall Operational Command.