Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan, a specialist in Communication and Electronic Warfare and an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, assumed charge as Chief of Staff of the Western Naval Command.
Commissioned into the Indian Navy in 1987, Admiral Swaminathan is a recipient of the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal and Vishisht Seva Medal, and has held several key operational, staff and training appointments in his naval career including the command of missile vessels INS Vidyut and Vinash, the missile corvette, INS Kulish, the guided-missile destroyer, INS Mysore and the aircraft carrier, INS Vikramaditya, said a senior officer of the Defence Ministry.
On promotion to the flag rank, he served as the Chief Staff Officer (Training) at Headquarters Southern Naval Command, Kochi and played a key role in the conduct of all training in the Indian Navy.
He was simultaneously instrumental in raising the Indian Navy Safety Team that oversees operational safety across all verticals of the Navy. On completion of an eventful Fleet Command, he was appointed Flag Officer Offshore Defence Advisory Group and Advisor Offshore Security and Defence to the Government of India and functioned in that capacity prior to assuming his current assignment.
Science Graduate from the Jawaharlal Nehru University, Admiral Swaminathan did MSc in Telecommunication, MA in Defence Studies from King’s College, London, MPhil in Strategic Studies and PhD in International Studies, also from the Mumbai University.