06th April 2025 09:28:06 Hours
The Combat Engineers Symposium 2025, the first of its kind in the history of the Corps of Sri Lanka Engineers, was successfully conducted under the initiative of Major General Lanka Amarapala RWP RSP ndc psc, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army and Colonel Commandant of the Corps of Sri Lanka Engineers. The event aimed to enhance the strategic mindset and expertise of middle-grade Engineer Officers, ensuring their readiness to address future challenges in both combat and peacetime operations. Held on 3rd April at the Grand Maitland, the symposium was themed “Adapting for the Future: Strategic Approaches of the Corps of Sri Lanka Engineers Blueprint, for the Evolving Geostrategic Landscape".
The symposium was graced by Major General K P Aruna Jayasekera (Retd) WWV RSP VSV USP ndc psc, Deputy Minister of Defence, as the Chief Guest. The Commander of the Army, Chief of Staff, senior officers, past Colonel Commandants of the Corps of Sri Lanka Engineers, representatives from the Tri-Forces, and invitees from civil organizations were also present. The event commenced with the traditional lighting of the oil lamp, followed by a welcome address by Major General Lanka Amarapala. The keynote speech was delivered by the Chief Guest, Major General (Retd) K P Aruna Jayasekera.
The symposium was structured into three sessions. The first session focused on the Future Strategic Environment and the Restructuring Plan of the Corps of Sri Lanka Engineers, chaired by Brigadier F Joseph USP. Presentations included Evolving trends in the future strategic environment and the requisite transformative role and force modernization of Combat Engineers by Lieutenant Colonel P A D S W Ponnamperuma USP psc SLE and Preparation for Non-Traditional threats and complex emergencies by Colonel M D J Wickramaarachchi USP psc ptsc. The second session addressed the role of Corps of Sri Lanka Engineers in national sustainability and nation building tasks in-support to the ‘Clean Sri Lanka’ national project, chaired by Brigadier W S Gamage RSP USP ndc psc, with presentations on Sustainable Combat Engineer solution for ‘Clean Sri Lanka Initiative’ by Lieutenant Colonel G G C L Kulathunga RSP psc SLE and Operational readiness for future Non-Combat engineering assignments by Lieutenant Colonel W M M P Wanigasooriya USP psc SLE. The final session focused on the proficiency and competency of Corps of Sri Lanka Engineers
