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{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox military person
|name=Asoka de Silva
|birth_date=1931
|death_date= December 22, {{death year and age|2006|1931}}
|birth_place=
|death_place=
|placeofburial=
|placeofburial_label= Place of burial
|image=Admiral Asoka de Silva.jpg
|image_size=
|caption=
|nickname=
|allegiance= [[Sri Lanka]]
|serviceyears= 1950–1986
| servicenumber = NRX 0001 
|rank=[[Vice Admiral]]
|branch=[[Image:Naval Ensign of Sri Lanka.svg|25px]] [[Sri Lanka Navy]]
|commands= [[Commander of the Navy (Sri Lanka)|Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy]]
|unit=
|battles={{unbulleted list| [[1971 JVP Insurrection (Sri Lanka)|1971 Insurrection]] | [[Sri Lankan Civil War]]}}
|awards=
|laterwork= Sri Lanka's [[Ambassador]] to Cuba
}}
[[Vice Admiral]] ''' A. H. Asoka de Silva''', [[Vishista Seva Vibhushanaya|VSV]] (1931 – December 22, 2006) was the [[Commander of the Navy (Sri Lanka)|Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy]] from 1983 to 1986. He was the first Sri Lankan [[Ambassador]] to [[Cuba]].

==Early life and education==
Born to a renowned [[surgeon]] and one time superintendent of the De Soysa Maternity Hospital in [[Colombo]], Dr. A.H.T de Silva and Beatrice Rodrigo, daughter of [[Sri Lankan Mudaliyars|Mudaliyar]] [[Thomas Rodrigo]], Asoka was the third child of a family of eight members. He was educated at the [[Royal College, Colombo]], where he was the senior sergeant commanding the Royal College cadet contingent. He won college colours for rugby.<ref name="Fernando">{{cite news |last1=Fernando |title=Admiral Asoka de Silva: An exemplary Naval Officer and a true gentleman |url=https://www.sundayobserver.lk/2021/10/31/impact/admiral-asoka-de-silva-exemplary-naval-officer-and-true-gentleman |access-date=5 May 2022 |publisher=Sunday Observer |ref=Fernando}}</ref>

==Naval career==
De Silva joined the then [[Royal Ceylon Navy]] as an [[officer cadet]] in the first cadet intake, soon after completing school on 1 September 1950. After completing his assault-training course he was sent to [[Britannia Royal Naval College]] in [[Dartmouth, Devon|Dartmouth]] for officer training. There he became a [[midshipman]] on 1 September 1951 and subsequently promoted as an [[Sub-Lieutenant|acting sub lieutenant]]. On 1 January 1953, he was commissioned to the rank of [[sub lieutenant]] after completing basic training, after which he was elevated to the rank of [[lieutenant]] on 16 March 1955, and [[lieutenant commander]] on 16 March 1963. During this time he received specialized training in communication at [[HMS Mercury]], thereafter attended the [[Royal Naval College, Greenwich]]. He attended [[Defence Services Staff College]], [[Wellington Cantonment|Wellington]] in 1967 and later attended [[National Defence College, India|National Defence College]], [[New Delhi]] in 1977.<ref name="Fernando"/>

From 1969 to 1970, he was the [[defence attaché]], at the Sri Lankan [[High Commission]] in London before being promoted to [[commander]] on 1 November 1970, after which he was the commanding officer [[SLNS Gajabahu|HMCyS Gajabahu]] the [[flagship]] of the fleet and the co-ordinating officer of the [[Polonnaruwa District]] during the [[1971 JVP Insurrection (Sri Lanka)|1971 Insurrection]]. He was the Naval Officer-in Charge of Trincomalee when he was promoted to the rank of [[Captain (naval)|captain]] on 1 June 1973, after which he was the Master of MV ''Lanka Kanthi'' of the Ceylon Shipping Corporation in 1975. He went on to serve as the Naval Officer-In-Charge of Trincomalee, Co-ordinating officer [[Task Force Anti Illicit Immigration|TAFII]] (East), Deputy Master Attendant (Trincomalee) and Director Naval Operations when on February 4, 1978, he was made [[Commodore (rank)|commodore]]. On July 1, 1979, he assumed duties as the [[chief of staff]] at Naval Headquarters, SLNS Ranagala.<ref name="Fernando"/>

On 1 June 1983, he was appointed as commander of the navy with the promotion to the rank of [[rear admiral]]. With the escalation of the [[Sri Lankan Civil War]], Admiral de Silva was concurrently appointed Coordinating Officer of the District of Trincomalee and later commander-in-chief of the Joint Services Special Operations (JOSSOP), with its Command Headquarters established in [[Vavuniya]] with responsible for the districts of Mannar, Vavuniya, Mullativu and Trincomalee. During his tenure the navy acquired three vessels, converting them as Surveillance Command Ships, allowing these ships to serve as Mother Ships for small patrol crafts. The Naval Patrolman Branch was created as a form of [[naval infantry]] and the navy began the recruitment of women. De Silva was also the chairman of the Sri Lanka Navy Sports Board and chairman of the Defence Services Sports Board. He was promoted to the rank of [[vice admiral]] on 1 August 1986 becoming the first naval officer to hold the rank. On reaching the age of 55, he retired from the navy on 1 November 1986.<ref name="Fernando"/>

==Honors==
During his long career in the navy, he received the [[Vishista Seva Vibhushanaya]], [[Republic of Sri Lanka Armed Services Medal]], the [[Sri Lanka Navy 25th Anniversary Medal]], the [[Ceylon Armed Services Long Service Medal]] and clasp, the [[Sri Lanka Armed Services Long Service Medal]], the [[President's Inauguration Medal]], and the [[Ceylon Armed Services Inauguration Medal]].<ref name="Fernando"/>

<div class="center">
[[File:Vishista Seva Vibhushanaya medal bar.svg|110px]]
[[File:Republic of Sri Lanka Armed Services ribbon bar.svg|110px]]
[[File:Sri Lanka Navy 25th Anniversary Medal ribbon bar.svg|110px]]
[[File:Ceylon Armed Services Long Service Medal ribbon bar.svg|110px]]

[[File:Sri Lanka Armed Services Long Service Medal ribbon bar.svg|110px]]
[[File:President's Inauguration Medal.svg|110px]]
[[File:Ceylon Armed Services Inauguration Medal ribbon bar.svg|110px]]
</div>

==Later life==
Following his retirement from the navy, he was appointed the first Sri Lanka's Ambassador to Cuba. Following his tenor as Ambassador, he served as a consultant to the [[Caribbean Maritime University|Jamaica Maritime Training Institute]] and returned to Sri Lanka in 1994. He took part in the formation of the Retired Naval Officers Club.<ref name="Fernando"/>

==Family==
Asoka de Silva was married to Sriya de Silva, they had one son Sajith, two daughters Dilini and Rapti.<ref name="Fernando"/>

==See also==
*[[Sri Lanka Navy]]
*[[Sri Lankan Non Career Diplomats]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.navy.lk Sri Lanka Navy]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20071116104108/http://www.navy.lk/index.php?id=38 Vise Admiral Asoka de Silva, VSV – Sri Lanka Navy]
*[http://www.infolanka.com/org/diary/217.html VICE ADMIRAL ASOKA DE SILVA – FORMER COMMANDER OF THE NAVY, by Dr. Tilak S. Fernando]

{{s-start}}{{s-mil}}
{{succession box
| title=[[Commander of the Navy (Sri Lanka)|Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy]]
| before= [[Henry Perera|A.W. Henry Perera]]
| after=[[H. A. Silva]]
| years=1983–1986 }}
{{s-end}}

{{Commanders of the Sri Lankan Navy}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:De Silva, Asoka}}
[[Category:1931 births]]
[[Category:2006 deaths]]
[[Category:Sri Lankan vice admirals]]
[[Category:Sinhalese military personnel]]
[[Category:Alumni of Royal College, Colombo]]
[[Category:Ambassadors of Sri Lanka to Cuba]]
[[Category:Commanders of the Navy (Sri Lanka)]]
[[Category:Graduates of Britannia Royal Naval College]]
[[Category:Graduates of the Royal Naval College, Greenwich]]
[[Category:National Defence College, India alumni]]

Asoka de Silva (admiral) - Revision history

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