Roshan Goonetileke

Roshan Goonetileke
11th Governor of the Western Province
Assumed office
24 March 2020
PresidentGotabaya Rajapaksa
Ranil Wickramasinghe
Preceded bySeetha Arambepola
Chief of the Defence Staff
In office
28 February 2011 – 1 August 2013
Acting: 16 November 2009 – 27 February 2011
Preceded bySarath Fonseka
Succeeded byJagath Jayasuriya
Commander of the Sri Lanka Air Force
In office
11 June 2006 – 27 February 2011
Preceded byDonald Perera
Succeeded byHarsha Abeywickrama
Personal details
Born (1956-02-28) 28 February 1956 (age 68)
NationalitySri Lankan
SpouseNelun Therese Moonemalle[1]
ChildrenRehan, Ronali
ParentHarry Goonatilake (Father)
Alma materSt. Peter's College, Colombo
OccupationAir Force officer
Military service
AllegianceSri Lanka
Branch/service Sri Lanka Air Force
Years of service13 January 1978 – 1 August 2013 (35 years) [2]
2019 - Present
Rank Marshal of the Air Force
CommandsCommander of the Sri Lankan Air Force
Chief of the Defence Staff
Battles/warsSri Lankan Civil War
Awards

Marshal of the Air Force W. D. M. J. Roshan Goonetileke, RWP and bar, VSV, USP is a Sri Lankan senior air force officer. He is the current Governor of the Western Province of Sri Lanka.

Born to Air Chief Marshal Harry Goonatilake, he joined the Sri Lanka Air Force along with his younger brother Shirantha Goonatilake,[3] who was later killed in action in 1995. Goonatilake served as a pilot in both fixed and rotary wing aircraft, flying operational sorties and served as the commanding officer of No. 03 Maritime Squadron and No. 04 Helicopter Wing. His higher commands included Zonal Commander and SLAF Base commander stints, Director Operations, Deputy Chief of Staff Operations and Chief of Staff, before appointment as Commander of the Sri Lankan Air Force in 2006, serving till 2011. He was appointed Chief of the Defence Staff in 2009 in an acting capacity which was confirmed in 2012 and he step down 2013, retiring from the Air Force. He was restored to active service in 2019, when he became the first to be appointed to the rank of Marshal of the Sri Lanka Air Force.

  1. ^ "'I chose a life of double commitment'; Nelun, talks about life with Air Marshal Roshan Goonetilleke". sundayobserver.lk. 11 November 2007.
  2. ^ Sri Lanka : New Sri Lanka Air Force Commander to be appointed. Colombopage.com (25 February 2011). Retrieved on 2012-08-21.
  3. ^ "Three generations of Goonetilekes in SLAF". sundayobserver.lk. 12 April 2009.

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