Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan has been appointed as the next Chief of Naval Staff. He is currently serving as the Western Naval Commander in Mumbai and will assume charge on May 31, news agency ANI reported. His tenure will continue till December 31, 2028.
Vice Admiral Swaminathan was commissioned into the Indian Navy on July 1, 1987, and is a specialist in Communication and Electronic Warfare. He is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla; the Joint Services Command and Staff College, Shrivenham, United Kingdom; the College of Naval Warfare, Karanja; and the United States Naval War College, Newport, Rhode Island.
Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan appointed as the next Chief of Naval Staff. He is presently the Western Naval Commander in Mumbai and will take charge on May 31 and his tenure will be up to December 31, 2028.
— ANI (@ANI) May 9, 2026
Vice Admiral Swaminathan was commissioned into the Indian Navy on 01… pic.twitter.com/Rff1TLNHRr
Who Is Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan
A recipient of the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal and Vishisht Seva Medal, Swaminathan has held several key operational, staff and training appointments during his naval career. He 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 Flag rank, he served as Chief Staff Officer (Training) at Headquarters Southern Naval Command in Kochi, where he played a key role in training across the Indian Navy. He was also instrumental in raising the Indian Navy Safety Team, which oversees operational safety across all verticals of the Navy.
He later headed the Navy's work-up organisation as Flag Officer Sea Training and subsequently served as Flag Officer Commanding Western Fleet. After commanding the Western Fleet, he was appointed Flag Officer Offshore Defence Advisory Group and Advisor Offshore Security and Defence to the Government of India. He also served as Chief of Staff of the Western Naval Command and later as Controller Personnel Services at Naval Headquarters before assuming his current assignment.
Vice Admiral Swaminathan holds a BSc degree from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi; an MSc in Telecommunications from Cochin University of Science and Technology, Kochi; an MA in Defence Studies from King's College, London; an MPhil in Strategic Studies from Mumbai University; and a PhD in International Studies from Mumbai University.
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