Sri Lanka Army Special Forces Regiment
The Special Forces Regiment (SF) (Sinhala: විශේෂ බලකාය Visēsha Balakāya;) is a special forces unit of the Sri Lanka Army. Founded in 1986 as a combat tracker team, it was established as a regiment in 1988, and later expanded into a brigade. The unit specialises in a number of roles including counter-terrorism, direct action and covert reconnaissance. Much like the British Army Special Air Service, much of the information about the SF is highly classified due to the secrecy and sensitivity of its operations.
Special Forces soldiers at the Independence day parade.
Combat Riders of the Special Forces Regiment on parade.
Special Force Combat Rider.
Soldier of the Sri Lanka Army Special Forces Regiment demonstrating the use of a Ghillie suit for camouflage
The Sri Lanka Army is the oldest and largest of the Sri Lanka Armed Forces. The army was officially established as the Ceylon Army in 1949, though the army traces it's roots back in 1881 when Ceylon Light Infantry Volunteers was created; the army was renamed as the 'Sri Lanka Army' when Sri Lanka became a republic in 1972. In 2024, the Army had approximately 150,000 personnel.
A Portuguese illustration of Sinhalese warriors, produced c. 1540
First Prime Minister of Independent Sri Lanka D. S. Senanayake visiting the 1st battalion of the CLI at the Echelon Square and watching volunteers being trained to handle light machine guns.
Brigadier James Sinclair, Earl of Caithness inspecting a guard of honour wearing khaki drill.
Sri Lanka Army flags