General (Sri Lanka)

Common military ranks in English
Navies	Armies	Air forces
Commissioned and Non-commissioned officers
Lord high admiral or Admiral of the Navy	Generalissimo or General of the Armies
Admiral of the fleet or Grand admiral	Field marshal or General of the army	Marshal of the air force
Admiral	General	Air chief marshal
Vice admiral	Lieutenant general	Air marshal
Rear admiral	Major general	Air vice-marshal
Commodore	Brigadier or Brigadier general	Air commodore
Captain	Colonel	Group captain
Commander	Lieutenant colonel	Wing commander
Lieutenant commander	Major or Commandant	Squadron leader
Lieutenant	Captain	Flight lieutenant
Sub-lieutenant	Lieutenant or First lieutenant	Flying officer
Ensign	Second lieutenant	Pilot officer
Midshipman	Officer cadet	Flight cadet
Enlisted grades
Warrant officer or Chief petty officer	Warrant officer or Sergeant major	Warrant officer
Petty officer	Sergeant	Sergeant
Leading seaman	Corporal	Corporal
Seaman	Private	Aircraftman
·

General is the second highest rank in the Sri Lankan Army and is a four-star rank. The rank is held by a Chief of the Defence Staff or is mostly awarded as a ceremonial rank to retiring Commanders of the Army. The serving Commander of the Army since the 1970s have head the rank of Lieutenant-General with a brief exception in 2009 when Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka was promoted as a General while he was still the Army Commander. Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka thus to date is the only 5-Star General in the history of Sri Lanka Armed Forces.

A general's insignia is a crossed sword and baton. A Major-General has a pip over this emblem; a Lieutenant-General a Sri Lanka emblem instead of a pip; and a full General both a pip and the Sri Lanka emblem.

Brigadiers, although equivalent to Brigadier Generals in other armies, are now considered to be general officers in the Sri Lankan Army.