Rear Admiral (Retd) YN JAYARATHNA

RWP*, RSP, USP, ndu, psc

International Consultant for Undersea Cables, Former Joint Chief
Hydrographer to the Government of Sri Lanka and Chief
Hydrographer of the Navy.
Maritime Expertise as a practitioner with analytical skills for
asymmetrical warfare at sea and Hydrographer with
broad understanding and designing of Marine Spatial Data
Infrastructure.

Rear Admiral Y. N. Jayarathna, RWP, RSP, USP is a retired Sri Lankan naval officer and hydrographer.
He served as the Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Navy and Joint chief Hydrographer to the Government
of Sri Lanka, former Commandant of the Naval and Maritime Academy and Commanding Officer, 4th
Fast Attack Flotilla.

Education
Admiral Jayarathna was educated at the Royal College Colombo, where he was a senior cadets when
the cadet contingent won the Herman Loos Challenge Cup

Naval career
Having joined the Sri Lanka Navy in 1986 as an Officer Cadet, Jayarathna received his basic training at
the Naval and Maritime Academy, where he topped his batch winning the Sword of Honour and was
selected for the International Midshipman Course at Britannia Royal Naval College, United
Kingdom, from 1988 to 1989. He was commissioned a Sub Lieutenant in 1988, and was attached to
the 4th Fast Attack Flotilla on his return from the United Kingdom, serving in the Dvora class fast patrol
boats that became the primary offensive weapon of the navy against the Sea Tigers as the Sri Lankan
Civil War escalated. He followed the Sub Lieutenant Technical course in India in 1989. Jayarathna spent
most of his career with the 4th Fast Attack Flotilla, going on to serve an additional officer, second in
command, officer in command and the training officer. He also specialized in hydrography, having
attended the basic hydrography course in 1995 and long hydrography course in 2003 at the National
Institute of Hydrography in Goa, gaining a Master's in Hydrography from the University of Goa in
2003. He attended the Army Command and Staff College gaining the psc qualification and a Master's
in Defence Studies from the University of Kelaniya in 2001. Admiral Jayarathna had served at Naval
Headquarters as Senior Staff Officer Projects and Plans; and Senior Staff Officer of Navy Hydrographic
Service.
Jayarathna took command of the 4th Fast Attack Flotilla from 2007 to 2008, during the last stages of the
war. At Naval Headquarters, he had served as Deputy Director Naval Project & Plans, Acting Director
Maritime Surveillance, Deputy Director Naval Operations and Acting Director Naval Research Wing.
From 2009 to 2011, he served as the Defence Advisor to at the Sri Lankan High Commission in
New Delhi. In 2011, took command of SLNS Samudura. The following year he was appointed as Naval
Assistant to the Commander of the Navy and Head of Naval Research, serving in these positions until
he was appointed Commandant of the Naval and Maritime Academy in 2014. Having completed the
National Defence Course at the PLA National Defence University China, he served as Deputy Area
Commander Northern Naval Area, Deputy Director General Sri Lanka Coast Guard, Deputy Area
Commander Eastern Naval Area and Port Facility Security Officers of Trincomalee Port, Director Naval
Training, Director General Training and Director General Operations. Admiral Jayarathna served
concurrently as Joint Chief Hydrographer to the Government of Sri Lanka and Chief Hydrographer
of the Navy. He was serving as Commander Eastern Naval Area when in May 2021, he was appointed
Deputy Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Navy and in August 2021 he was appointed Chief of Staff.
He was a member of the Delineation of Outer Continental Margin Project, Advisory group on effect
of Sethusamudram Canal Project, Interim Tsunami Warning Committee. He also served as a
member in the National Committee on Ocean Science under National Science Foundation of Sri
Lanka. After about 36 years of service Rear Admiral YN Jayarathne retired from naval service 21 June
2022.
“8th Navy-to-Navy Staff Talks Between the Indian Navy and the Sri Lanka Navy
The 8th Navy to Navy Staff Talks between the Indian Navy (IN) and Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) were held from
27 February to 01 March 2019 at New Delhi. The talks were co-chaired by Rear Admiral Atul Anand,
Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Foreign Cooperation and Intelligence) from IN and Rear Admiral YN
Jayarathna, Director General Training, from the SLN. Rear Admiral YN Jayarathna, Director General
Training also called on Vice Admiral MS Pawar, Deputy Chief of Naval Staff. During the Staff Talks,
several issues related to naval cooperation, including conduct of Bilateral Exercise and matters related
to cooperation in training, Hydrography and Aviation assistance were discussed. The Sri Lanka Navy
delegation also visited M/s BEL, Ghaziabad and IFC-IOR, Gurugram where they were given an overview
of the defence systems and Indian Coastal Surveillance System respectively”.

“20th Meeting of the North Indian Ocean Hydrographic Commission

20th meeting of the North Indian Ocean Hydrographic Commission (NIOHC-20) was commenced today
under the chairmanship of the current NIOHC Chair, Rear Admiral YN Jayarathna, RWP & Bar, RSP,
USP, ndu, psc at Naval Wing of the National Hydrographic Office, NARA as a three day event. Around
50 participants representing Member States, Associate Members and Observer countries of NIOHC,
relevant International Organizations and Industry stake holders attended the meeting virtually.
The purpose of this conference is to discuss and promote greater navigational safety in the Indian Ocean
region through common standards and procedures”.

“Rear Admiral YN Jayarathne, New Navy Deputy Chief of Staff

Rear Admiral YN Jayarathne, who was recently appointed as the Deputy Chief of Staff of Sri Lanka Navy,
called on Commander of the Navy, Vice Admiral Nishantha Ulugetenne at the Navy Headquarters today
(20th May 2021). Rear Admiral YN Jayarathne was appointed Deputy Chief of Staff of Sri Lanka Navy
with effect from 19th May 2021, whilst he was holding the office of Commander Eastern Naval Area.
Accordingly, Commander of the Navy handed over the letter of appointment in this regard to Rear
Admiral YN Jayarathne on Thursday (20)
In addition to the appointment as Deputy Chief of Staff of the Navy, he will continue to discharge duties
as Commander Eastern Naval Area as well”.