The following tables present the ranks and insignia of the Sri Lanka Navy. These ranks are similar to Royal Naval officer ranks and the ratings ranks. Sri Lanka does have an Admiral rank, but it is only awarded to the Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy on the day of his retirement and was previously given to Chief of Defence Staff which is obsolete now; Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda was the only Sri Lankan naval officer to hold a full admiral rank while in active service.
Officers are assigned to a branch of the service based on their specialization. Officers of non-executive branches wear a distinction cloth worn between the stripes of a particular colour (with the exception of the Band and Provost branch):