Karannagoda appointed 15th Navy Chief
 

by Ranil Wijayapala

Vice Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda, appointed the 15th Navy Commander by President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga will assume duties at the Naval Headquarters in Colombo this morning.

In the 54-year history of the Sri Lanka Navy, Karannagoda is the only officer to be considered to the highest seat of the Navy commander, from a Naval Area Commander.

The normal practice is to appoint the Chief of Staff of the Navy to the post of Navy Commander. President Kumaratunga in July appointed him as Co-ordinator-in-Chief of Security Forces and Police in Trincomalee district on top of his Naval assignment as the Commander Eastern Naval Area.

Karanngoda is the first Naval officer to be conferred with two Masters Degrees - Masters in Business Administration and Defence Studies.

He is also a member of the Royal Institute of Navigation and the Nautical Institute of the United Kingdom.

He has commanded four Operational Naval Commands on seven occasions Northern, Eastern and Western Commands twice and North Central once for almost six years.

A product of Ananda College, Colombo, Karannagoda joined the then Royal Ceylon Navy on August 1, 1971 at the age of 18. He is a sportsman par excellence and represented Sri Lanka in swimming and water polo.