Portfolio
Air Marshal Gagan Pulasthi Bulathsinghala was born on 12th September 1961. He joined the Sri
Lanka Air Force as an Officer Cadet on 12th of February 1981 and was commissioned as a Pilot Officer in
the General Duties Pilot Branch on 8th April 1983.
Air Marshal Bulathsinghala is a graduate of the Air Command & Staff College at Air University,
Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, USA and the prestigious National Defence College, New Delhi and
holds Post graduate degrees of Master in Philosophy in Defence and Strategic Studies, University of Madras,
Chennai, and a Master of Science Degree in Defence Studies in Management from Kothalawala Defence
University, Sri Lanka. He is a fellow of Asia Pacific Center for Security Studies, Hawaii, the Near East
South Asia Centre for Strategic Studies and National Defence University, Washington.
Air Marshal Bulathsinghala was the founding Commanding Officer of the No. 6 Helicopter
Squadron and has had the privilege of being the longest serving Commanding Officer of the No. 4 VIP
Squadron. He is a VVIP rated pilot with over 4500 flying hours and has had the honour of flying four heads
of Sri Lanka during his tenure at the No. 4 Squadron. He has commanded the Sri Lanka Air Force Base
China Bay.
He has served in various staff appointments at Air Force Headquarters during his career;which
include Aide de Camp to the Commander of the Air Force, Staff Officer Air Operations I, Overall
Operations Commander Air Defence and the Command Flight Safety Officer. In addition he has served as
Staff Officer (Air) Joint Operations Command and as the Chief Instructor of the Air Wing at Defence
Service Command and Staff College.He was appointed to the Air Force Board of Management as the
Director Operations in year 2011 and thereafter as the Director Air Operations in year 2012. He was
subsequently appointed as the Chief of Staff in year 2014. He was elevated to the rank of Air Marshal on
01st June 2015 and was appointed as the Commander of the Sri Lanka Air Force on 16th June 2015.
Air Marshal Bulathsinghala is a decorated helicopter pilot. His gallant and selfless contribution
during the separatist conflict has earned him the prestigious “Rana Wickrama Padakkama” and the “Rana
Sura Padakkama”. In recognition of his distinguished and exemplary service to the nation, he has been
awarded the “Uttama Seva Padakkama” in addition to the campaign and operational medals.
He was a member of the Sri Lanka Air Force Sport Council in the capacity as the Chairman Air
Force Cycling and was the President Interim Committee of the Cycling Federation of Sri Lanka. After his
retirement from the Air Force, Chief Marshal Gagan Bulathsinghala was appointed as the Sri Lankan
Ambassador to Afghanistan.
He is married to Samanthi and is blessed with a son and a daughter.