Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan Appointed Next Chief of Naval Staff

Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan has been appointed the next Chief of Naval Staff, effective shortly, taking over from Admiral Dinesh Tripathi. Swaminathan, currently the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Western Naval Command, was commissioned into the Indian Navy in 1987 and brings extensive operational and administrative experience.

He has served as Vice Chief of the Naval Staff, overseeing warship and weaponry acquisition, and previously held key roles including Chief of Personnel and Controller, Personnel Services at Naval Headquarters. A surface warfare officer, he has commanded the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya, the guided missile destroyer INS Mysore, and three corvettes. His command tenure included managing operations during the Strait of Hormuz crisis.

Swaminathan has been awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, and Vishisht Seva Medal for his service. He also served as naval assistant to the Navy chief and held leadership positions in the Southern Naval Command, including training responsibilities in Cochin.

The Defence Ministry will soon begin the process to appoint the next Army Chief, as General Upendra Dwivedi nears the end of his term. Lieutenant General N S Raja Subramani has been appointed as the new Chief of Defence Staff and will assume charge as Secretary to the Government of India in the Department of Military Affairs. The court will resume hearing on Tuesday.