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Krishna Swaminathan

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In this Indian name, the name Swaminathan is a patronymic, and the person should be referred to by the given name, Krishna.

Vice Admiral
Krishna Swaminathan
AVSM VSM
Official portrait, 2024
39th Vice Chief of the Naval Staff
Incumbent
Assumed office
1 May 2024 (2024-05-01)
President
Chief of Naval StaffDinesh Kumar Tripathi
Preceded byDinesh Kumar Tripathi
Personal details
BornBangalore, Karnataka, India
SpouseLaila[1]
RelationsTyabji family (through wife)
Military service
Allegiance India
Branch/service Indian Navy
Years of serviceJuly 1987 - present
Rank Vice Admiral
CommandsWestern Fleet
INS Vikramaditya (R33)
INS Mysore (D60)
INS Kulish (P63)
INS Vinash (K47)
INS Vidyut (K48)
Awards Ati Vishisht Seva Medal
Vishisht Seva Medal

Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan, AVSM, VSM is a serving Flag officer in the Indian Navy. He currently serves as the Vice Chief of Naval Staff. He took over as the 39th Vice Chief of Naval staff on 1 May 2024.[2] He previously served as Chief of Personnel.[3] He earlier served as the Controller of Personnel Services, Chief of Staff of the Western Naval Command, Flag Officer Defence Advisory Group (FODAG), Flag Officer Commanding Western Fleet (FOCWF) and Flag Officer Sea Training (FOST). He was the second Commanding Officer of the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya.

Early life and education

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Krishna was born to D. Swaminathan and Shanta Swaminathan, both teachers, in Bangalore. The Swaminathans resided in NR Colony in Basavanagudi. He attended the Bishop Cotton Boys' School until the age of 15. He then attended the Sainik School, Bijapur. He subsequently joined and graduated from the National Defence Academy, Pune.[4]

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Krishna was commissioned into the Indian Navy on 1 July 1987. He is a specialist in Communication and Electronic Warfare. He has completed the staff course at the Joint Services Command and Staff College, Shrivenham in the United Kingdom and the higher command course at the College of Naval Warfare in Mumbai. He has also attended the Naval War College, Newport, Rhode Island in the United States.

Krishna (left) takes command of INS Vikramaditya from Capt. Suraj Berry.

Krishna has commanded five front-line ships of the Indian Navy. He has commanded the Veer-class corvettes - INS Vidyut (K48) and INS Vinash (K47), the Kora-class guided-missile corvette INS Kulish (P63) and the guided missile destroyer INS Mysore (D60). He was in command of Mysore during the President's fleet review in 2011. Under his command, the ship participated in INDRA - the joint naval exercise with Russia, in late 2012.[5]

On 2 November 2015, Krishna took command of the flagship of the Indian Navy, the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya (R33) as its second commanding officer.[6][7] He commanded the carrier during the International Fleet Review 2016. During his command tenure, Vikramaditya was adjudged the Best Ship of the Western Fleet.[8]

In his staff appointments, Krishna has served on the staff of the Western Fleet, has served as an instructor at the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington. As a Commodore, he served as the Naval Assistant (NA) to the Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Robin K. Dhowan.[9]

Flag rank

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Krishna (right) hands over charge as FOST to RAdm Rajesh Pendharkar.

On promotion to Flag rank, Krishna took over as the Chief Staff Officer (Training) (CSO (Trg)) at the Southern Naval Command, the training command of the Indian Navy, at Kochi. As CSO (Trg), he played a key role in the conduct of all training in the Navy. He was also instrumental in raising the Indian Navy Safety Team (INST) that oversees operational safety across all verticals of the Navy.[10] On 18 March 2019, he assumed the office of Flag Officer Sea Training (FOST), also at Kochi. FOST functions under the operational and administrative jurisdiction of Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Southern Naval Command. As FOST, his charter included the conduct of the operational sea training of all ships of the Indian Navy and the Indian Coast Guard. It includes enhancing crew proficiency in all aspects, including safe navigation practices, damage control and firefighting drills, weapon firings as well as seamanship training.[11]

Krishna took command of the Western Fleet on 14 February 2020 as the Flag Officer Commanding Western Fleet.[12][13] During this tenure, the western fleet exercised with the Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF) in the North Arabian Sea in the 4th edition of India - Japan Maritime bilateral exercise JIMEX. The JMSDF had its Escort Flotilla Two under the command of Rear Admiral Konno Yasushige.[14] For his command of the western fleet, on 26 January 2021, he was awarded the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal.[15]

In February 2021, he relinquished command of the Western Fleet and was appointed Flag Officer Defence Advisory Group and took over from Rear Admiral Ravindra Jayant Nadkarni.[16][17] He was the FODAG during the extremely severe Cyclone Tauktae, which impacted off-shore oil operations. After a short stint as FODAG, on 4 November 2021, he was promoted to the rank of Vice Admiral and appointed Chief of Staff of the Western Naval Command at Mumbai.[18] In April 2023, he was appointed Controller of Personnel Services at naval headquarters.[19] After a short stint as CPS, he was appointed Chief of Personnel on 6 October 2023. In both appointments, CPS and COP, he took over from Vice Admiral Suraj Berry.[20] On 1 May 2024 he took over as the 39th Vice Chief of Naval Staff succeeding Vice Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi upon his elevation as the Chief of Naval Staff.[2]

Personal life

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Krishna is married to Laila Swaminathan. The couple has two daughters.[21]

Awards and decorations

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Ati Vishisht Seva Medal Vishisht Seva Medal Samanya Seva Medal Operation Vijay Medal
Operation Parakram Medal Sainya Seva Medal 75th Independence Anniversary Medal 50th Independence Anniversary Medal
30 Years Long Service Medal 20 Years Long Service Medal 9 Years Long Service Medal

Source:[22]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ City lad commands India's largest aircraft carrier. Bangalore Mirror.
  2. ^ a b "VICE ADMIRAL KRISHNA SWAMINATHAN, AVSM, VSM ASSUMED CHARGE AS VICE CHIEF OF THE NAVAL STAFF". pib.gov.in. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
  3. ^ "Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan AVSM VSM assumes charge as Chief of Personnel Indian Navy | Indian Navy". indiannavy.nic.in. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
  4. ^ Rao R., Sunitha (4 November 2015). "B'luru boy followed dreams to head INS Vikramaditya". The Times of India.
  5. ^ "Joint naval exercise with Russia". The Hindu. 30 November 2012. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
  6. ^ "Captain Krishna Swaminathan takes over Command of Aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya". pib.gov.in.
  7. ^ Desk, OneIndia Defence (2 November 2015). "Bengalurian takes over as Commanding Officer of INS Vikramaditya". oneindia.com. {{cite web}}: |last1= has generic name (help)
  8. ^ "Western Fleet Evening 2016 conducted | Indian Navy". www.indiannavy.nic.in. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
  9. ^ "Captain Krishna Swaminathan takes over Command of Aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya". pib.gov.in.
  10. ^ "VICE ADMIRAL KRISHNA SWAMINATHAN, AVSM, VSM ASSUMES CHARGE AS CONTROLLER OF PERSONNEL SERVICES INDIAN NAVY". pib.gov.in. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
  11. ^ "Rear Admiral Krishna Swaminathan, VSM assumes Charge as Flag Officer Sea Training (FOST)". pib.gov.in.
  12. ^ "Rear Admiral Krishna D Swaminathan, VSM Assumes Charge as Flag Officer Commanding Western Fleet, Mumbai". indiannavy.nic.in.
  13. ^ "Bangalorean Navy officer to take over as Fleet Commander of Western Fleet". Deccan Herald. 14 February 2020.
  14. ^ "Bilateral Maritime Exercise Between Japan and India (JIMEX 20) to Commence off West Coast of India". pib.gov.in. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
  15. ^ "Distinguished Service and Gallantry Award Winners on Republic Day 2021". pib.gov.in.
  16. ^ "REAR ADMIRAL AJAY KOCHHAR ASSUMES COMMAND OF THE WESTERN FLEET (FOCWF)". PIB. 24 February 2021.
  17. ^ Jun 11, TNN / (11 June 2021). "Before rescue, Navy quelled fear in sailors | Ahmedabad News - Times of India". The Times of India.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  18. ^ "Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan assumed charge as Chief of Staff, Western Naval Command". pib.gov.in.
  19. ^ "Vice Admiral Sanjay Jasjit Singh to be new navy vice chief". Hindustan Times. 1 April 2023. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  20. ^ "Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan AVSM VSM assumes charge as Chief of Personnel Indian Navy". pib.gov.in. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  21. ^ KamathV, ana; Nov 3, ana Kamath / Updated. "City lad commands India's largest aircraft carrier". Bangalore Mirror. Retrieved 20 December 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  22. ^ "Visit of Japanese Navy Ship to Kochi | Indian Navy". www.indiannavy.nic.in.
Military offices
Preceded by Commanding Officer INS Vikramaditya
2015 - 2017 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Flag Officer Sea Training
2019 - 2020 		Succeeded by
Flag Officer Commanding Western Fleet
14 February 2020 – 24 February 2021 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Flag Officer Defence Advisory Group
February 2021 - November 2021 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Chief of Staff, Western Naval Command
November 2021 - March 2023 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Controller of Personnel Services
April 2023 - October 2023 		Succeeded by
Chief of Personnel
October 2023 - April 2024 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Vice Chief of the Naval Staff
1 May 2024 - Present 		Incumbent
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