Sept 24, Colombo: Eastern Naval Commander Rear Admiral Jayanath Colombage has been appointed as the new Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy, Navy headquarters announced.

Rear Admiral Colombage will be promoted to Vice Admiral rank, sources said.

He will be the 18th Navy Commander of Sri Lanka. He succeeds the retiring Navy Commander Vice Admiral Somathilake Dissanayake.

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa promoted the retiring Commander Vice Admiral Dissanayake to the rank of Admiral from Monday.

The new Navy Commander Rear Admiral Colombage will ceremonially assume duty in the post on Wednesday.

He has been awarded of the highest medals of the armed forces of Sri Lanka.

Rear Admiral Colombage is a past student of Kandy Sylvester College.