Naval and Maritime Academy

History
Trincomalee is the largest natural harbor in Sri Lanka and has been used for centuries as major hub international sea lanes. The training of naval officers at Trincomalee dates from the British colonial rule. The first batch Ceylonese officer cadets where trained here during World War II. After the establishment of the Royal Ceylon Navy following Ceylon's independence in 1950. The need for officer training came to light therefore midshipmen where sent to Britannia Royal Naval College for officer training. With the expansion of the navy and the high cost of training officers overseas promoted the navy to establish its own officer training center.

Naval training from the times of the Royal Ceylon Navy had fair winds and sailed many a mile since its humble beginnings at the Recruit Training Centre in the cool climes of Diyathalawa in 1951 at HMCyS Rangalla (named after the Rahangala Hill).

In 1963, the training centre at Diyathalawa was handed over to the army and HMCyS Rangalla was moved lock, stock and barrel to Kochchikade in 1965, training of seaman was moved to HMCyS Parakrama at Trincomalee, with HMCyS Tissa looking into its administration. The Naval & Maritime Academy (NMA) was established as a separate institution on 15 January 1967 and was commissioned on 15 July 1967 with Instructor Commander MGS Perera as its first Commandant. This created a new era of training in the Navy, by taking on the training of officers, who had until this time been trained at the Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, in the United Kingdom.

The NMA has over the past four decades expanded and improved its facilities and capacity to meet the bulk of the Navy’s training requirements to internationally accepted standards. It also extends its services towards training personnel from the Sri Lanka Army, Sri Lanka Air force, Sri Lanka Police, The Ceylon Shipping Corporation and Fisheries Corporation of Sri Lanka.

The NMA today has the capability to train approximately 2000 trainees both officers and sailors and has to date, trained forty five intakes of Officer Cadets in addition to a large volume of KDU Entry, Direct Entry, Service Entry,  Upper yardmen, Short Service Commissioned, Patrolmen, VNF and Lady officers. This also encompasses training of sailors in their branch training, specialization training, mechanical and technical training.

With the rapid expansion of the Navy, since the early 90’s it was decided to establish a separate wing for officer training known as the Officer Training Wing (OTW). This wing took it upon itself to undertake Sub Lieutenant’s Technical Course, for which up to then, the further expansion of the Nautical School into the Specialization of Gunnery and Anti Submarine Warfare Schools along with the Language and computer departments came into being.

The Cadet Entry Training Programme was accredited to the University of Kelaniya, in 2001 under the provisions of Section 25 of the Universities Act of 1978. Thereby all officer under trainees who qualify are conferred with a Bachelor’s Degree in Naval Studies in Maritime Warfare, Land Warfare and Logistic Management. They are also commissioned as Acting Sub Lieutenants. This form of academic recognition is in line with most of the Naval Academics all over the world and we are proud to be in that league. The NMA is proud to have been awarded with President’s Colours in 2003 for its achievements and achieved ISO 9001: 2000 certification in the year 2007. The voyage of the Academy has been a long one and fair winds have filled her sails throughout and we who steer her today will continue as those before us, to ride on the crest of the wave inculcating to those that sail on her, the cornerstones of knowledge, leadership and professionalism.

Communication school
In 1958 the present Tissa Vidyalaya was then Communication Training School. During this period visual communication was done at Navy house for training purposes. In 1964 the training school was temporarily shifted to DSS. In 1965 the Signal School was shifted to present Electrical school, subsequently to the present dispensary building and to its present location in 1986. The First OIC was LCdr (C) SM Rajasingham (August 1971).

Physical Training School
Physical Training School was established on 18 July 1967 with the commissioning of Naval & Maritime Academy. Before attaching to the NMA the PT School functioned in the same location for the purpose of dockyard sports activities and maintenance work. The present building occupied by Physical Training staff was built by the Royal Ceylon Navy and it was then named as HMCyS Parakrama, which was established in Dockyard in the year 1965 as a training base. Lt DC Eagleton had been appointed as the first Officer in Charge of this training centre until it was attached to NMA in the year 1967 on Commissioning. This Centre was attached to the NMA and was functioning as Physical Training School. Lt DC Eagleton was appointed as in charge of the School as he was a Royal Navy qualified Physical Training Officer. He was the only PT availed officer appointed as OIC and remained until 1969. Since then Executive branch Officers and Honorary Commissioned Officers of the PT branch have been appointed as OIC s and 2IC s of PT school.

Engineering School
The Engineering School of Naval and Maritime Academy was founded in 1967. This school formed in order to train naval personnel on engineering aspects. In 1970 workshop facility included with fitting shop, machine shop, foundry, internal combustions engine workshop, black smith workshop, welding shop, refrigeration workshop, shipwright workshop and heavy plate work shop. The First OIC was LT (E) N Ganeshan 1967 to 1969

Electrical & Electronic Engineering School
This building used as a ‘Cash Block’ in olden days and this was under Naval Base Tissa for long years. For the first time this building was established as a training establishment in 1967 under HMCyS Parakrama and the first Officer in Charge of this establishment was Lieutenant Commander Palman under Commander MGS Mendis as the Commandant. Thereafter Commander Siriwardana and Commander TS Ahamad was the 2nd & 3rd Officer in Charge of this school.

Seamanship School
With the commissioning of NMA on 15 July 1967, Nautical School was established for Navigation and Seamanship training of officers and sailors. With the expansion of the school the seamanship school was formed separately on 6 May 2002 under the command of LCdr (G) SJSN Silva.

Gunnery School
With the establishment of NMA on 15 July 1967 gunnery training for officers and sailors was conducted under supervision of Nautical School. With the expansion of the training for seaman sailors, separate school for gunners was formed on 6 May 2007 under the command of LCdr(G) AKM Jinadasa and a new school was built adjacent to the main parade ground with all the facilities.

Supply and Secretariat School
This school was established on 15 July 1967 with the purpose of producing well trained and qualified Stores Assistants, Writers, Catering and Mess Assistants to meet the Navy’s requirement. The school was shifted to present location, closer to Shipping Building area, in year 1990. The first OIC was LT (S) H Banagoda.

Navigational School
This school was established on 18 July 1967 and named as Nautical School and conducted courses on Nautical Science for officers and Coastwise Course for sailors. The first OIC of Navigation School when separately established in 2007 was LCdr (ND) RAUC Ranasinghe.

ASW School
The first course for UC/UW III trainees was conducted on 8 February 1993 under the command of the OIC Nautical School. On 7 May 2002, ASW School was established and first OIC was LCdr DAS Pothupitiya. The School imparts practical and theoretical knowledge pertaining to undersea warfare in order to produce under water warfare specialized sailors and officers for Sri Lanka Navy.

Diving school
The school was established on 16 June 1996 and producing well qualified divers not only to the Sri Lanka  Navy but also conducting courses for officers and soldiers of  Special Force and  Commando Regiments of Sri Lanka Army. The first OIC of the school was LCdr (CDO) UVMP Perera.

Medical Assistants Training School
This school was established on 21 May 1998 at old library building and is capable of conducting basic nursing courses for medical branch sailors. The first OIC of the school was Lt (WM) VADN Edward.

Combat Training Unit
The school was established near Waterloo junction on 23 October 2003 and conducting courses for patrolmen branch officers and sailors and combat module for all other officers and sailors. The first OIC of the school was of LCdr (NP) KGN Ranaweera.

NBCD School
Nuclear Biological Chemical Defence and fire fighting and damage control school was established on 7 March 2006. The first OIC of the school was LCdr (E) DMNA Dassanayake.

Naval Marksmanship & Sniper Training School
The school was established on 18 December 2006 at Waterloo junction and subsequently shifted to its present location at Shoebury junction on 18 December 2007. This school is capable of producing snipers to the Sri Lanka Navy. Lt (NP) KPNG Kariyawasam was the first OIC of the school.

Intakes
There are several intakes for cadet officers and midshipmen annually. These are under the following category.
 * Cadet Entry Degree Programme
 * B.Sc. in Naval Studies (University of Kelaniya)
 * Navy Officer cadets from General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University (last year)
 * Cadet Entry Non-Degree Programme
 * KDU Entry [General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University]
 * Direct Entry Stream to the Regular Force - For professionals (Doctors, IT specialists, Engineers, etc.)
 * Volunteer Stream - Officers for the Sri Lanka Volunteer Naval Force
 * Service Entry - For serving ratings

Degrees conducted by the NMA
These degrees are accredited to the University of Kelaniya;


 * Bachelor of Science Naval Studies in Maritime Warfare
 * Bachelor of Science Naval Studies in Land Warfare
 * Bachelor of Science Naval Studies in Logistic Management

Commandants

 * Commander M. G. S. Perera RCyN - Founder NMA and former Director Naval Training.
 * Rear Admiral Sunil Ranjan Samaratunga RSP, VSV, USP, SLN
 * Admiral H.A. Silva VSV, ndc, psc SLN - former Commander of the Sri Lankan Navy
 * Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda RSP, VSV, USP, ndc, psc SLN - former Commander of the Sri Lankan Navy
 * Admiral Thisara Samarasinghe, RSP, VSV, USP, ndc, psc, DISS, MNI, SLN - former Commander of the Sri Lankan Navy
 * Rear admiral Susith Weerasekara RSP, VSV, USP, ndu, psn, MSc. (DS) Mgmt, DISS, DIDSS - present Deputy Chief of staff of the Sri Lanka Navy, under whose tenure (in 2003) the NMA received the President's colour

Notable alumni

 * Lieutenant-Commander Jude Lakmal Wijethunge -Parama Weera Vibhushanaya recipient.
 * Admiral D.W.K Sandagiri VSV, USP, rcds, ndc, psc, JP  SLN - Commander of the Navy (2001–2005)
 * Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda RSP, VSV, USP, ndc, psc SLN - Commander of the Navy (2005–2009)
 * Rear Admiral Frank F.N.Q Wickramaratne - VSV- Chief of Staff Sri Lanka Navy (1989-1992) ( Also served as Training Commander of the Naval and Maritime Academy )'''

External links and sources

 * Sri Lanka Navy
 * Instructor Commander M. G. S. Perera - the founder of the Naval Academy, by M. H. Weliwitigoda, Lieutenant Commander SLN. (Rtd.)
 * 
 * Memorials to a brave, old world, by Rashomi Silva
 * 24 Naval Officers receive their graduation at BMICH
 * Naval and Maritime Academy (NMA) Receives ISO 9001:2000, defence.lk
 * Naval and Maritime Academy of SLN reaches Par Excellence, navy.lk