CHENNAI: Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan was appointed as the next Chief of the Naval Staff. He will assume office on June 1, following the retirement of incumbent Navy chief Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi on May 31.
A recipient of the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, and Vishisht Seva Medal, he has been serving as the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Western Naval Command since July 31, 2025. Commissioned into the Indian Navy on July 1, 1987, he is a specialist in communication and electronic warfare.
An alumnus of the National Defence Academy, the Joint Services Command and Staff College in the United Kingdom, the College of Naval Warfare in Karanja, and the United States Naval War College in Rhode Island, the officer has held several key operational and staff appointments during his nearly four-decade-long naval career.
Vice Admiral Swaminathan has commanded missile vessels INS Vidyut and INS Vinash, missile corvette INS Kulish, guided missile destroyer INS Mysore, and aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya.
After being promoted to Rear Admiral, he served as Chief Staff Officer (Training) at the Southern Naval Command headquarters in Kochi, where he oversaw naval training operations. He was also involved in establishing the Indian Naval Safety Team responsible for operational safety oversight across the Navy.
He later served as Flag Officer Sea Training and subsequently as Flag Officer Commanding, Western Fleet. He also held the appointment of Flag Officer Offshore Defence Advisory Group, and Advisor, Offshore Security and Defence to the Union government.
Following his elevation to Vice Admiral, he served as Chief of Staff of the Western Naval Command, Controller of Personnel Services, and Chief of Personnel at Naval Headquarters. Before taking charge of the Western Naval Command, he served as the Vice Chief of the Naval Staff.
Vice Admiral Swaminathan holds a BSc degree from Jawaharlal Nehru University, an MSc in Telecommunications from Cochin University of Science and Technology, an MA in Defence Studies from King's College London, besides MPhil and PhD degrees from University of Mumbai.