By 2030, Sri Lanka’s military strength has been planned to be reduced to 100,000, the Ministry of Defense has announced. The announcement follows and the decision creates another crisis in the future. Also, these will also change in the country where decisions are changed from government to government. It is not the military strength of this country that should be reduced. When the local industries that were closed and destroyed during the Mahinda Rajapaksa era should be restored and the public service reduced, decisions should not be taken that will bring the country’s security to zero.
The strength of the military and sustainable economic development are two sides of a coin, which stay together, but never talk to each other in open. Military spending is basically the state borne expenditure, which indirectly stimulates and opens avenues for economic growth by way of assuring national and human security.
State Minister of Defence Hon. Premitha Bandara Thennakoon raising his concerns into the status quo mentioned that despite the approved cadre of the Army, which is now 200,783, it will be reduced to 135,000 by 2024 and it has been projected to right size the strength to 100,000 by 2030.
The overall aim of the strategic blueprint is to broach a technically and tactically sound and well-balanced defence force by the year 2030 in order to meet upcoming security challenges on a par with the National Security dimensions of the country.
