The Sri Lankan Armed Forces award medals and their associated ribbon bars in recognition of various levels of service, personal accomplishments and commemorative events while a regular- or volunteer serviceperson is a member of the Sri Lanka Army, Sri Lanka Navy and the Sri Lanka Air Force. Together with military badges, such awards are a means to outwardly display the highlights of a serviceperson's career.
Medals for gallantry
An Air Force serviceman in parade uniform, with medals pinned on left breast
Parama Weera Vibhushanaya (Order of Absolute Heroism)
Weerodara Vibhushanaya (Order of Heroism)
Weera Wickrama Vibhushanaya (Order of Heroic Valor)
Rana Wickrama Padakkama (War Valor Medal)
Rana Sura Padakkama (War Champion Medal)
Wound medals
Uththama Pooja Pranama Padakkama (Medal of Honour for Supreme Sacrifice)
Desha Putra Sammanaya (Son of the Nation Award)
Sri Lanka orders
Vishista Seva Vibhushanaya (Distinguished Service Order)
Karyakshama Seva Vibhushanaya (Efficient Service Order) (Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force)
Prashansaniya Seva Vibhushanaya (Commendable Service Order) (Sri Lanka Volunteer Naval Force)
Medals for long service and good conduct
Uttama Seva Padakkama (Eminent Service Medal)
Sri Lanka Armed Services Long Service Medal
Karyakshama Seva Padakkama (Efficient Service Medal) (Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force)
Prashansaniya Seva Padakkama (Commendable Service Medal) (Sri Lanka Volunteer Naval Force)
Videsha Seva Padakkama (Foreign Service Medal)
War service medals
All of Sri Lanka's campaign medals (as at December 2020) center around those that were part of the Sri Lankan Civil War. As such, the campaigns took place in the North and East of the island, shown here
Eastern Humanitarian Operations Medal
Northern Humanitarian Operations Medal
Purna Bhumi Padakkama
North and East Operations Medal
Vadamarachchi Operation Medal
Riviresa Campaign Services Medal
Peacetime service medals
Sewabhimani Padakkama
Sewa Padakkama
Ceylon Armed Services Inauguration Medal - 1951
Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal - 1953
Republic of Sri Lanka Armed Services Medal - 1972
Sri Lanka Army 25th Anniversary Medal - 1974
Sri Lanka Navy 25th Anniversary Medal - 1975
Sri Lanka Air Force 25th Anniversary Medal - 1976
President's Inauguration Medal - 1978
Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force Centenary Medal - 1981 (Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force)
50th Independence Anniversary Commemoration Medal - 1998
United Nations Service Medals
A Sri Lankan UN peacekeeper in Carrefour, Haiti in 2010
The United Nations Medal for participation in UN peacekeeping operations:
United Nations Operation in the Congo (MONUC) - 1960[1]
United Nations Security Force in West New Guinea - October 1962 to April 1963[2]
United Nations India-Pakistan Observation Mission - 1965, 1966
United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan
United Nations Operation in Mozambique - 1992 to 1994
United Nations Truce Supervision Organization[3]
United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti - since 2004[4]
United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon - since 2010[5]
United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) - since 2014[6]
United Nations Mission in South Sudan - since 2015[6]
United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) - since December 2017[7][8]
United Nations Mission for Justice Support in Haiti - since 2017[9]
United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNIFSA)[6]
United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINUSRO)[6]
Former decorations & medals
Sri Lanka, formerly known as Ceylon, possessed a small standing armed force of its own. Here, Prime Minister D. S. Senanayake watches the Ceylon Light Infantry training at the Echelon Barracks in the 1950s
Transition to independence (1949 - 1972)
From its formation in 1949, the Ceylon Armed Forces continued the use of British military decorations. This was discontinued in 1956 with a suspension of nominations for British honours; until Sri Lanka's republican constitution of 1972, the following awards were used:
Officer of the Order of the British Empire (Military Division) (suspended in 1956)
Member of the Order of the British Empire (Military Division) (suspended in 1956)
Ceylon Armed Services Long Service Medal (1961 - 1972)
Efficiency Decoration (Ceylon) (1930 - 1972)
Efficiency Medal (Ceylon) (1930 - 1972)
Defence Medal (1940-1945)
War Medal 1939–1945 (1940-1945)
Queen's Medal for Champion Shots in the Military Forces (1954-1966)
Colonial (pre-1948)
The following are notable medals awarded by the Colonial government or agents of the Crown that are of historic interest:
Capture of Ceylon Medal (1807)
Ceylon Medal (1818)[10]
Volunteer Officers' Decoration (1892-1930)
Volunteer Long Service Medal for India and the Colonies (1892-1930)
King Edward VII Coronation Medal (1902)
King George V Coronation Medal (1911)
Ceylon Volunteer Service Medal (1914-1919)
King George V Silver Jubilee Medal (1935)
King George VI Coronation Medal (1937)
The various decorations and medals are worn in the following order:[11][12][13]
SLAF officer displaying ribbon bars in order of precedence
Postnominals
Parama Weera Vibhushanaya PWV 1981
Weerodara Vibhushanaya WV 1981
Weera Wickrama Vibhushanaya WWV 1981
Rana Wickrama Padakkama RWP 1981
Rana Sura Padakkama RSP 1981
Vishista Seva Vibhushanaya VSV 1981
Karyakshama Seva Vibhushanaya[a]
(Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force)
Prashansaniya Seva Vibhushanaya[a]
(Sri Lanka Volunteer Naval Force) KSV
PSV 1972
Uttama Seva Padakkama USP 1981
Karyakshama Seva Padakkama[b]
Prashansaniya Seva Padakkama[b]
(Sri Lanka Volunteer Naval Force) KSP
Desha Putra Sammanaya - 1972
Eastern Humanitarian Operations Medal - 2010
Northern Humanitarian Operations Medal - 2010
Purna Bhumi Padakkama - 1977
North and East Operations Medal - 1983
Vadamarachchi Operation Medal - 1983
Riviresa Campaign Services Medal - 1996
Queen's Medal for Best Shooter in the Army - 1954
Sri Lanka Army 25th Anniversary Medal[c]
Sri Lanka Navy 25th Anniversary Medal[c]
Sri Lanka Air Force 25th Anniversary Medal[c] - 1974
Sri Lanka Army 50th Anniversary Medal[d]
Sri Lanka Navy 50th Anniversary Medal[d]
Sri Lanka Air Force 50th Anniversary Medal[d] - 1999
Ceylon Armed Services Long Service Medal
(Replaced by the Sri Lanka Armed Services Long Service Medal) - 1968
Sri Lanka Armed Services Long Service Medal - 1979
Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force Centenary Medal - 1981
Sewabhimani Padakkama - 2019
Sewa Padakkama - 2019
Videsha Seva Padakkama - 1981
United Nations Medals - Various
Awards and decorations of the Sri Lanka Police
^ a b Equivalent
^ a b c Equivalent
^ "1960: Sri Lankan contribution to United Nations Peacekeeping". United Nations Sri Lanka.
^ "West New Guinea- UNSF". United Nations Peacekeeping. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
^ "UN Medals: UNTSO". un.org. United Nations. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
^ "UN decorates 200 Sri Lankan peacekeepers - Haiti". Defence.lk. 8 November 2006. Archived from the original on 2007-09-11.
^ "Army Contingent for UN Mission in Lebanon ready to leave". english.dailyceylon.com. Daily Ceylon. 8 February 2018. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
^ a b c d "UN introduces new rules for SL peace keeping troops: Army awaits HRC clearance". dailymirror.lk. Daily Mirror. 27 March 2018. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
^ "Army Chief eyes bigger deployment in Mali". island.lk. The Island. 22 December 2017. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
^ "Sri Lanka Army Completes Its Commitment to UN Assignments in Mali". Sri Lanka Army. army.lk. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
^ "Troop and police contributors". United Nations Peacekeeping. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
^ Narbeth, Colin (1971). Collecting Military Medals: A Beginner's Guide. Cambridge: The Lutterworth Press. p. 52. ISBN 0718890094. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
^ "Medals". army.lk. Sri Lanka Army. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
^ "Medal". navy.lk. Sri Lanka Navy. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
^ "Decorations & Medals". airforce.lk. Sri Lanka Air Force. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
Sri Lanka Army Medals
Sri Lanka Navy Medals
Sri Lanka Air Force Medals
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Military decorations of Sri Lanka.
Military awards and decorations of Sri Lanka
Gallantry Medals
Parama Weera Vibhushanaya
Weerodara Vibhushanaya
Weera Wickrama Vibhushanaya
Rana Wickrama Padakkama
Rana Sura Padakkama
Vishista Seva Vibhushanaya
Karyakshama Seva Vibhushanaya
Prashansaniya Seva Vibhushanaya
Long Service and Good Conduct Medals
Uttama Seva Padakkama
Karyakshama Seva Padakkama
Prashansaniya Seva Padakkama
Videsha Seva Padakkama
Desha Putra Sammanaya
Uththama Pooja Pranama Padakkama
Ceylon Armed Services Inauguration Medal
Republic of Sri Lanka Armed Services Medal
Sri Lanka Army 25th Anniversary Medal
Sri Lanka Navy 25th Anniversary Medal
Sri Lanka Air Force 25th Anniversary Medal
President's Inauguration Medal
50th Independence Anniversary Commemoration Medal
Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force Centenary Medal
Efficiency Decoration (Ceylon)
Efficiency Medal (Ceylon)
Queen's Medal for Champion Shots in the Military Forces
Prizes, medals, and awards
Civil awards
Police awards and decorations
Orders, decorations, and medals by country
Somaliland1
Bophuthatswana1
Ciskei1
Rhodesia1
Transkei1
Venda1
Mexican Empire
Artsakh1
Bangladesh (Military)
Self-Defense Force
British Raj
Imperial Orders
Kaisar-i-Hind Medal
Abkhazia1
Kosovo1
Northern Cyprus1
South Ossetia1
Sovereign Military Order of Malta
Transnistria1
Bulgarian People's Republic
Kingdom of Italy
Hungarian People's Republic
Polish People's Republic
Socialist Republic of Romania
1Partially recognised country
Sri Lanka and the Commonwealth of Nations