Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan appointed next Chief of the Naval Staff

Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan has been appointed as the next Chief of the Naval Staff and will take over from Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi, who is set to retire on May 31.

Currently serving as the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Western Naval Command, Vice Admiral Swaminathan’s appointment was announced by the Defence Ministry on Saturday, May 9.

In a post on X, the ministry said the officer brings nearly four decades of distinguished service and has extensive experience in operational, strategic and personnel management roles across major appointments in the Indian Navy.

Commissioned into the Indian Navy on July 1, 1987, Vice Admiral Swaminathan specialises in communication and electronic warfare.

He studied at the National Defence Academy, the Joint Services Command and Staff College, the College of Naval Warfare, and the US Naval War College.

The Admiral is a recipient of the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal and Vishisht Seva Medal.

Over the course of his naval career, he has held several operational, staff and training assignments. He has commanded missile vessels INS Vidyut and INS Vinash, missile corvette INS Kulish, guided missile destroyer INS Mysore, and aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya.

(With PTI inputs)