Major General Jagath Gunawardena has been appointed the 55th Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army.

He replaces Major General Saythyapriya Liyanage who retired from office recently.

Gunawardena is a graduate of Sri Lanka Army Command and Staff College (Course Number 2), and Command and Staff College, Quetta, Pakistan. He was the recipient of ‘Commandant's Golden Pen’ award for best research paper at the Army Command and Staff College in year 1999. The instructional appointments that the senior officer held during his career include Officer Instructor at the Sri Lanka Military Academy, Directing Staff at Defence Services Command and Staff College, Head of the Training Team at Army Wing at the Defence Services Command and Staff College.

He holds a Bachelor of Science (Honours) War Studies degree from the University of Baluchistan in Pakistan, Master in Defence Studies from the University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, Master of Arts with Merit in Conflict Resolution from the University of Bradford, United Kingdom.