New Delhi: Admiral Krishna Swaminathan took charge as Chief of the Naval Staff on Sunday, May 31, succeeding Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi, who retired from service. He was serving as Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Western Naval Command before his elevation to the top post.
Commissioned into the Indian Navy on July 1, 1987, Admiral Swaminathan is a specialist in communication and electronic warfare. Over a career of nearly four decades, he has commanded missile vessels INS Vidyut and INS Vinash, the missile corvette INS Kulish, the guided missile destroyer INS Mysore and the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya.
As a Rear Admiral, he served as Chief Staff Officer (Training) at the Southern Naval Command in Kochi and was instrumental in raising the Indian Naval Safety Team, which oversees operational safety across all verticals of the Navy. He later served as Flag Officer Sea Training, Flag Officer Commanding Western Fleet and Flag Officer Offshore Defence Advisory Group.
Prior to heading the Western Naval Command, he served as Vice Chief of the Naval Staff.
He is a recipient of the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal and Vishisht Seva Medal.
New Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) Admiral Krishna Swaminathan (left) exchanges a handshake with outgoing CNS Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi during a ceremony marking his assumption of charge, in New Delhi on Sunday, May 31.
An unusually well-credentialled officer
Admiral Swaminathan’s academic record is notable even by the standards of senior military officers. He holds a BSc from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), 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 from Mumbai University.
He is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakvasla; the Joint Services Command and Staff College, Shrivenham, UK, the College of Naval Warfare, Karanja, and the US Naval War College, Newport.
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Admiral Krishna Swaminathan accorded a Guard of Honour during a ceremony marking his assumption of charge as India’s new Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), in New Delhi on Sunday, May 31.
Priorities as Navy chief
Speaking to reporters after assuming charge, Admiral Swaminathan described the regional security environment as “challenging, complex, and unpredictable” and said maintaining peak operational readiness would be his highest priority.
He said it would be his endeavour to consolidate ongoing programmes, scale up where required, and induct emerging technologies to sharpen the Navy’s capabilities. He also underscored the Navy’s commitment to jointness, self-reliance, and indigenisation.
(With inputs from PTI)
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