04th September 2026 15:02:19 Hours
12th General Deshamanya Dennis Perera Oration “Our Watch: Building a Future Ready Navy; Agility, Credibility & Strategic Relevance
The GDDP Memorial Oration, held on 11th August 2026 in honour of the General Deshamanya Denis Perera organised by ARFRO, brought together a distinguished gathering of military leaders, dignitaries, and well-wishers at the KDU Auditorium. The oration was delivered by Vice Admiral Damian Fernando, the 27th Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy, on the compelling theme “Our Watch: Building a Future Ready Navy; Agility, Credibility & Strategic Relevance”. A large number of serving triservices officers, ARFRO members and their ladies graced the occasion.
Vice Admiral Damian Fernando’s address captivated the audience with its depth, clarity, and relevance to both the proud traditions and the evolving challenges of military leadership. He eloquently described ‘Our Watch’ as being a journey on stewardship which is the enduring covenant that binds one generation of leaders to the next. Drawing upon the timeless naval tradition of keeping watch, he transformed a sailor's duty into a universal metaphor for leadership; to remain vigilant while others rest, to read the horizon before the storm appears and to pass the helm forward stronger than it was received. He described a compelling vision of a Future-Ready Navy founded upon Agility, Credibility, and Strategic Relevance. His oration culminated in the intriguing notion that history seldom condemns nations for failing to foresee the future, but it judges them harshly for recognizing transformative change too late.
The event was graced by Mrs. Ranjini Perera, wife of the late General together with his three sons and attended by many prominent figures, including Deputy Minister of Defence Major General K.P.A. Jayasekara, Commander of the Sri Lanka Army, Lieutenant General K V N P Premaratne, Commander of the Sri Lanka Air Force, Air Marshal V B Edirisinghe and Vice Chancellor of KDU, Rear Admiral Dammika Kumara. Past Service Commanders, along with Past Presidents of ARFRO. The diplomatic community was represented by H.E. Vije Kumar Raut, the Actg Ambassador to Nepal, H.E. Maj Gen Dr Nayyar Naseer, HI (M), PhD, the Ambassador to Pakistan, the Defence Adviser of Australia and the Defence Attaché of the Maldives and United States of America.
A moment of reflection was observed as attendees were reminded of the late General Denis Perera’s monumental contribution to the establishment of the General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University (KDU). His vision and leadership transformed the then ‘Kandawala Estate’ into Sri Lanka’s premier defence university, which continues to produce generations of officers who serve with distinction.
The ceremonial procession to the stage included Past Presidents of ARFRO General Srilal Weerasooriya, Air Chief Marshal Gagan Bulathsinghala, Major General Lohan Gunawardena, and Rear Admiral Sarath Rathnakeerthi, along with the Vice President, Rear Admiral A.V. Abeyasena; Vice President and Chairman of the Organising Committee, Air Vice Marshal Kishan Yahampath; ARFRO Secretary, Rear Admiral Palitha Weerasinghe; and culminated with the Orator Vice Admiral Damien Fernando who was accompanied by the current President ARFRO, Maj Gen Susil Chandrapala.
Maj Gen Susil Chandrapala introduced the Orator and AVM Kishan Yahampath delivered the vote of thanks while AVM Andrew Wijesuriya performed as the Master of Ceremony.
The evening was a fitting tribute to a legendary military leader, combining heartfelt remembrance with thought-provoking discourse that left an indelible impression on all present.
