He held platoon and company level command, seeing combat in the Sri Lankan Civil War.
He graduated from the Special Forces Training School in North Carolina and the University of Malaya in Strategic and Defence Studies obtaining PSC.
[5] Kulatunga commanded an infantry battalion in Jaffna and Vanni during the height of the operations against the Tamil Tigers.
During war Kulatunga was the Commandant of Jaffna Town Sector responsible for coordinating civil affairs and administration in the peninsula.
[7] In June 2019, he was appointed to Chief of National Intelligence by President Sirisena succeeding Sisira Mendis who resigned after giving testimony that the Parliamentary select committee to inquire into the 2019 Sri Lanka Easter bombings which had outraged President Sirisena.