Defence Services Command and Staff College

Since the establishment of the Ceylon Army in 1949, mid career staff officers were sent to the British Army Staff College, Camberley and later to India's Defence Services Staff College, as well as other overseas staff colleges. With the rapid expansion of the army during the Sri Lankan Civil War, the need for more 'Staff Qualified' officers was felt as the army began mounting multi-division military operations. As a response to this need the army established the Army Command and Staff College (ACSC) on 16 March 1998 with the first course consisting of 26 Student Officers. The College was officially inaugurated on 28 August 1998 by President Chandrika Kumaratunga by the request of the Commander of the Army, Lieutenant General Rohan Daluwatte.

At the inception, a British Army Training Team consisting of two Lieutenant Colonels was attached, in order to assist the faculty to formulate a curriculum similar to the British Joint Services Command and Staff College, but with emphasis on local requirements providing required training material and fine tuning the local faculty's teaching skills. The faculty was driven through an ‘on the job’ Training Programme.

The ACSC was established with the aim of developing the professional knowledge and understanding of selected Student Officers both in command and on staff duties, for the Sri Lanka Army. However, a few selected Student Officers from the Sri Lanka Navy and Sri Lanka Air Force too were trained on Army Command and Staff aspects from ACSC Course No 1 onwards. During the 9 years of ACSC (1998-2006), the College produced 253 graduates, of whom 207 were from the Army, 22 were from the Navy, 21 from the Air Force and one from the Police. This was in contrast to 58 ‘Staff Qualified Graduates’ available in the Sri Lanka Army, in the year 1996. The change from ACSC to DSCSC could be perceived as an indication shown from the very inception on the importance of a Joint Services atmosphere. Moreover, the efforts of all military arms was felt imperative to be joint, in order to combat the adversary. Furthermore, changing tactics of adversaries compelled the military to revise its doctrines in war fighting, thus setting conditions for a sound ‘Joint environment’.

On 22 January 2007, ACSC was re-designated as the Defence Services Command and Staff College, where all military doctrinal and strategic level planning and teachings were brought under one roof with Secretary to the President, Lalith Weeratunga serving as the Chief Guest. he first Commandant of DSCSC was Major General N A Ranasinghe RSP, VSV, USP, ndc, psc, Isc. DSCSC Course No 1 commenced immediately after the inauguration ceremony with 36 Student Officers from the Army, 8 Student Officers from the Navy and 10 Student Officers from the Air Force registering for the first course. The Student Officers from respective Services are functioning under three wings namely Army, Navy and Air, with greater emphasis on Joint Environment.

Orientation Module (3 Weeks)

• English Writing, Reading and Public Speaking.
• Information Technology.
• Etiquette.
• Service Writing.
• Introduction to Arms.

Term 1 - Foundation Studies (10 Weeks)

• Arms and Services.
• Combat Service Support.
• Command, Command Support and Decision Making.
• Doctrine, Operations and War fighting.
• Intelligence Staff Duties.
• General Staff Duties.
• Logistic Staff Duties.
• Operations of War.
• Research Methodology.
• Sri Lanka Studies.

Term 2 - Operations of War (17 Weeks)

• Air Warfare.
• Military Assistance to Civil Authorities.
• Operations of War.
• Strategic Studies.
• International Affairs.
• Overseas Study Tour.

Term 3 - Joint Operations and Operations Other Than War (11 Weeks)

• Operations Other Than War Including Counter Insurgency (COIN).
• Management Studies.
• Maritime Warfare.
• Strategic Studies and International Affairs.
• ICRC Workshop on International Humanitarian Law (IHL).

Term 4 - Management and Technology (11 Weeks)

• Joint Operations.
• Management Studies.
• Military Technology.
• UN Peace Support Operations.
• Training for Operations.
• Security.
• Administrative Studies.
• Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Warfare.

The DSCSC library comprises 3 sections; the Reference Library, Lending Library and Pamphlet Room. The Reference Library is open daily and contains both general and military reference material and periodicals. The Lending Library is open during weekdays; this is principally a military library with a small collection of books and periodicals of general interest. However the college is making arrangements to enhance its collection of books through purchases and donations.

Most central lectures and briefings are conducted in the auditorium, which has modern audio visual aid for the conduct of such activity. This auditorium is temporarily housed at its present location awaiting completion of construction work of a more spacious and modern premises.

The DSCSC provides computer training to students during the Orientation module, with the aim of introducing them to the modern IT Environment. Basic applications such as Operating Systems, Microsoft Office applications, Hardware, Networking and the use of internet & Email are the part of the training.

All student officers are encouraged to actively participate in sports and other extra curricular activities during their stay at the DSCSC. Student officers will have to qualify in the Staff College Physical Assessment tests conducted every term. The following sports facilities are available in the College. Student officers also make use of the facilities available at the Sugathadasa National Indoor Complex.