Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan appointed next Navy chief

• The government appointed Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan as India’s next Chief of the Naval Staff.

• He succeeds Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi, who retires from service on May 31.

• Vice Admiral Swaminathan is currently serving as the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Western Naval Command.

• As the Navy Chief, his focus is likely to be on taking forward the ongoing modernisation of the force.

Who is Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan?

• A recipient of the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, and Vishisht Seva Medal, the Admiral has held several key operational, staff and training appointments in his naval career, including the command of missile vessels INS Vidyut and Vinash, the missile corvette INS Kulish, the guided missile destroyer INS Mysore and the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya.

• He was commissioned into the Indian Navy on July 1, 1987, and is a specialist in communication and electronic warfare.

• He is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakvasla; the Joint Services Command and Staff College, Shrivenham, United Kingdom; the College of Naval Warfare, Karanja; and the US Naval War College, Newport.

• On promotion to the rank of Rear Admiral, he served as the Chief Staff Officer (Training) at the Southern Naval Command’s headquarters in Kochi.

• Vice Admiral Swaminathan was also instrumental in raising the Indian Naval Safety Team, which oversees operational safety across all verticals of the Navy.

• He then served as the Flag Officer Sea Training, after which he was appointed Flag Officer Commanding Western Fleet. 

• He was then appointed as Flag Officer, Offshore Defence Advisory Group, and Adviser, Offshore Security and Defence to the government of India.

• Following his promotion to the rank of Vice Admiral, the Flag Officer served as Chief of Staff of the Western Naval Command, Controller of Personnel Services, and Chief of Personnel at Naval Headquarters.

• Before his current assignment, he served as Vice Chief of the Naval Staff.

• Vice Admiral Swaminathan's educational qualifications include a BSc degree from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi; an MSc in Telecommunications from Cochin University of Science and Technology; and an MA in Defence Studies from King’s College, London.

• He also holds an MPhil in Strategic Studies and a PhD in International Studies, both from Mumbai University.