SL Army’s strength to be trimmed from 200,000 to 135,000 by next year

13 January 2023 09:49 am Views - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}} 18 Bookmark

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State Minister Premitha Bandara Tennakoon said that approved cadre of the Sri Lanka Army, which now stands at 200,783 will be reduced to 135,000 by 2024.

He said it has been projected to reduce the cadre to the right size, which is to 100,000 by 2030.

"The strength of the military and sustainable economic development are two sides of a coin, which stay together, but never talk to each other in open," he said.

The overall aim of the strategic blueprint is to broach a technically and tactically sound and well-balanced defence force by the year 2030 in order to meet upcoming security challenges on a par with the National Security dimensions of the country, the State Minister added. (Darshana Sanjeewa Balasuriya)

Comments - 18

Mizaru Friday, 13 January 2023 09:55 AM

Ha Ha Ha! This is what Ranil and his group did not want to tell the public. This is the reason for the delay in the IMF bailout. Even now we see passing out parades of new military recruits. The army strength need to be halved as Sri Lanka can not afford it.

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Mizaru Friday, 13 January 2023 09:58 AM

This is the IMF in action. The largest allocation of Ranil's infamous budget was for defence spending. Who is going to lend money for defence spending. The accounts too are not transparent. At last Sri Lanka has got a good kick on its butt. Now cut the military spending and allocate it to education.

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Hiran Friday, 13 January 2023 10:23 AM

I'm sure Wimal Weerawansa will make a huge fuss about this..Jaathika Aarakahawa!

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Kikazaru Friday, 13 January 2023 10:25 AM

The size of these unproductive army was one of the main reasons the IMF bailout was delayed. The recruitment may have to be frizzed and the clowns in fancy dress sent home before the iMF bailout. No sensible organisation wants to lend money to maintain an army for no valid reason except hares the citizens.

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Andrew Wijesuriya Friday, 13 January 2023 12:58 PM

Agreed, the military is over staffed, but labeling them as 'Clowns in fancy dress' I think is unqualified.

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Jayaratne Friday, 13 January 2023 10:26 AM

This is a good decision although I'm not a fan of this government.

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Dee Friday, 13 January 2023 10:57 AM

Now let's see what the 'patriots' will have to say during the elections!

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Punchi Friday, 13 January 2023 11:23 AM

Our 330,000 mighty most powerful army is required to assist our best friend China by invading India from the south to support China when China goes to war with India. If we have difficulty in funding, China should be approached to provide the necessary funds

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Ex policeman Friday, 13 January 2023 11:49 AM

At last brains working. Recruit Tamil policemen to North and East. They will mingle with local population to get intelligence to maintain law and order.

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sam Friday, 13 January 2023 11:49 AM

Why next year?

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100,000 even is unnecessarily large Friday, 13 January 2023 12:37 PM

Too much suffering from inflation paying for defence forces through printed money. Even if that hadn't happened taxing so much to pay for defence who do nothing anymore is pointless. If there's a need it won't be hard to bring up the numbers with recruitment, but Sri Lanka traditionally had big problems with letting go of publicly money paid people.

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Citizen k Friday, 13 January 2023 01:39 PM

Another election promise not to be kept.

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Sri Friday, 13 January 2023 01:45 PM

War ended in 2009 and the government should have immediately reduced the number of army by 50% then and instead they could have been trained in agriculture; small and medium industries and even some could have sent abroad for some good jobs ...I have been telling that a large percentage of our budget goes to defence... Easter Sunday attack is hatched to keep politics in tack as they wanted ...Now people pay the price and next step should to be cut all those promotion introduced by Ranil to Keep him in power

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Suwaris Friday, 13 January 2023 01:54 PM

The military tri forces and the Police task forces must now invest more money on technology for cyber crime, forensics, drone type attacks on vip security oil tanks, digital forensic labs, integrated data bases, cyber analysts etc. Navy must be given good sattelite and 3d radar type investments to support narcotic and human smuggling detections.

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Cheers Friday, 13 January 2023 02:12 PM

Illan kanda yanney

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GHT Friday, 13 January 2023 02:24 PM

This is a part of an IMF conditions which must have led to sign as MoU to add more cadres from INDIA laying foundation to create a DEFACTO- TAMIL EELAM in Sri Lanka.

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Ram Friday, 13 January 2023 03:13 PM

We need the army for domestic purposes. We cannot fight other countries and that could be a myth. We needed a larger army in the past and all that is settled now. If we need to increase the cadre do it when needed. For the present we can reduce the cadre

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Iwazaru Friday, 13 January 2023 03:14 PM

The reduction is the army to 100,000 is in 2030. The IMF knows that Sri Lanka has not kept its words during previous IMF bailouts. As such Sri Lanka will have to wait for the year 2030 for the bailout. Not bad to the 2048 talk.

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