Admiral (Rtd.) Travis Sinniah

Admiral (Rtd.) Travis Jeremy Liyanduru Sinniah, WWV, VSV, RWP, RSP, USP, served as the 21st Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy, retiring after 37 years of active service. Born in Kandy and educated at Trinity College, he joined the Navy as an Officer Cadet in 1982, undergoing basic training at the Naval and Maritime Academy and the Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth. He subsequently specialised in naval communications and electronic warfare at HMS Mercury and INS Venduruthy.

Admiral Sinniah holds a Master of Science in Defence and Strategic Studies from the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, and is a Counter-Terrorist Fellow who graduated as Distinguished Graduate from the National Defence University (NDU), Washington DC — the only Sri Lankan serviceman to be inducted into the NDU Hall of Fame. A specialist in counter- terrorist and littoral warfare, he was nominated to direct the Maldivian Defence Forces in formulating a maritime security strategy and counter-terrorism doctrine implemented in 2008. He has delivered lectures at the US Fifth Fleet, the Pentagon, US Naval War College, and US Pacific Command, on the special invitation of the Secretary of the Navy.

He has served as defence cooperation officer with the US Pacific Command, as security advisor to the Prime Minister’s Office on Indian Ocean affairs (2017–2019), and as a Non-Resident Fellow of the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute of International Relations and Strategic Studies. He is a visiting lecturer to defence forums on maritime terrorism and strategic thought, and a consultant to commercial institutions on leadership and decision-making. A highly decorated officer, he has been personally commended by the President of Sri Lanka for acts of conspicuous bravery and outstanding service.