The Sri Lankan Army, which reached its peak strength in 2009, is now set to reduce its personnel gradually to meet operational requirements, Army Media Spokesperson Major General K.A.N. Sisira Kumara announced.
Speaking at a media briefing at the Ministry of Defense, Major General Kumara outlined the plan to reduce the army’s current 143,000-strong force to 130,000 by the year 2030. This reduction will be achieved by managing recruitment levels in line with annual retirements, allowing the decrease to occur naturally without forced layoffs.
“The army’s manpower is decreasing in a natural and systematic way, with no special reductions or layoffs. Recruitment has been adjusted according to the number of retirements,” he explained. “This year, we plan to recruit only 3,000 personnel for the regular army and 1,000 for the volunteer force, while more than that will retire.”
Major General Kumara emphasized that no current personnel will be laid off as part of the reduction. Instead, the adjustments will occur through attrition as more personnel retire each year than are recruited.
The army’s target is to reach a personnel strength of 130,000 by 2030, ensuring that the force size remains aligned with the country’s defense needs in a sustainable and gradual way.
