The Commander of the Navy is the professional head of the Sri Lanka Navy. The current Commander of the Navy is Vice Admiral Jayanath Colombage (appointed on 27 September 2012). It is a position comparable to that of First Sea Lord of the Royal Navy or Chief of Naval Operations in the United States Navy. In the recent past all serving Navy commanders have been of the rank of Vice Admiral, promoted to the Honorary rank of Admiral when retiring or promoted to Chief of Defence Staff (CDS).