In a chamber where defence once meant discipline in steel and strategy in maps, Sri Lanka now listens for threats in whispers of data and glimmers of code. On 29 July 2025, the Ministry of Defence became the stage for AEGIS LEXICON 2025—a landmark exposition held to mark the second anniversary of the Defence Cyber Command (DCC). But more than a ceremonial moment, it became a declaration of digital resolve.
Since its establishment on 03 August 2023, the DCC has emerged not just as a branch of protection but as a nerve centre of national continuity in the digital age. Delivering the keynote, Defence Secretary Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha (Retd) called for a visionary transition: from command to Cyber Force—a fully empowered wing, capable of strategic, operational, and tactical command in cyberspace.
This year’s theme, “National Security in the Age of AI and Cyber Physical Convergence,” echoed with both urgency and intellect. Curated under the precise direction of Brigadier Dhammika Vidanalage, the event brought together a rare collective of strategic thinkers, legal scholars, technologists, and national security architects.
Presentations painted the canvas of the future with clarity and caution. Brigadier Vidanalage examined the cyber threat landscape in an AI-dominated world. Dr. Hans Wijayasuriya explored the foundations of digital trust in an economy evermore connected. Prof. Kasun De Zoysa took listeners to the edge of tomorrow’s conflict zones—algorithmic battlegrounds where code replaces combat.
Legal frameworks, governance, and the protection of critical infrastructure were brought into sharp relief by Dr. Thusitha Abeysekara, Mr. Lasantha Priyankara, and the research team of Dr. Roshan Rajapakse and Mr. Kenneth Thilakarathna. Their contributions formed a constitutional echo—reminding us that national security must walk hand-in-hand with legal clarity and public trust.
The panel discussion “Overcoming Cyber Physical Challenges for National Security” brought together a formidable line-up including Mr. Waruna Sri Dhanapala, Dr. Aparrajitha Ariyadasa, Major Sandun Gunawardana, and Lt. Commander Meshech Hewawasam. Together, they charted not just reactive strategies—but proactive alliances for the future.
But perhaps the most visceral moment came when Colonel Darshana Muthugala’s technical team unveiled a live cyber threat simulation—transforming invisible threats into visual realities, revealing how the battlefield has moved behind the screen, yet remains no less real.
As AEGIS LEXICON 2025 closed its circuits, it left in its wake a renewed recognition: that in this era, defence is no longer only a matter of terrain, but of terrainless warfare—fought in milliseconds, in silence, in shadows of signal.
The Defence Cyber Command, once a bold idea, is now a strategic necessity—Sri Lanka’s digital shield and unseen sword, forging a new doctrine where code, cognition, and courage intersect.
