Ministry of Defence (Sri Lanka)
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1948 |
| Preceding agency | |
| Jurisdiction | Government of Sri Lanka |
| Headquarters | Defence Headquarters Complex 6°55′47″N 79°50′42″E / 6.929710°N 79.844905°E |
| Annual budget | LKR 404 billion (2025) |
| Minister responsible | |
| Agency executive |
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| Child agencies | |
| Website | defence.lk |
The Ministry of Defence (Sinhala: රාජ්ය ආරක්ෂක අමාත්යාංශය Rājya ārakshaka amāthyanshaya; Tamil: பாதுகாப்பு அமைச்சகம்) is the cabinet ministry of the Government of Sri Lanka responsible for implementation of government defence policy and acts as the overall headquarters of the Sri Lankan Armed Forces.
The Ministry of Defence states that its principal objectives are the formulation, co-ordination and the execution of policies in relation to the national security. With the end of the Cold War, the MOD does not foresee any short-term conventional military threat, the main threat to Sri Lanka having been the now-defunct organisation, the LTTE and Islamic Terrorism. The Ministry of Defence also manages day-to-day running of the armed forces, contingency planning and defence procurement.
The National Security Council of Sri Lanka is the executive body of the Sri Lankan government that is charged with the maintenance of national security with authority to direct the Sri Lankan military and Police. The Minister of Defence and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence are permanent members of the National Security Council.