Vice Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi has been appointed India’s next Chief of Naval Staff (CNS). He will succeed Admiral R Hari Kumar, who will retire on 30 April. The government announced his appointment late Thursday night. Currently serving as the Vice Chief of the Naval Staff (VCNS), Vice Admiral Tripathi has previously held the positions of Director General of Naval Operations and Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief (FOC-in-C) of the Western Naval Command. His assumption of command comes at a time when Indian warships are heavily deployed in the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Aden, and along the east coast of Somalia amidst ongoing attacks by Houthi rebels and Somali pirates, which have disrupted sea trade in the region.
Vice Admiral Tripathi will assume command of the Navy at a critical juncture. Indian naval ships are extensively deployed in the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Aden, and along the east coast of Somalia, facing ongoing attacks by Houthi rebels and Somali pirates, causing disruption to maritime trade in the region. Moreover, the growing presence of China in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and its collaboration with Pakistan in maritime domains continue to pose significant challenges for the Indian defence establishment.
Vice Admiral Tripathi, a highly experienced communication and electronic warfare specialist, brings a wealth of expertise to his new role. Commissioned in July 1985, he has held various crucial operational and staff appointments throughout his career, commanding warships like corvette INS Kirch and frigate INS Trishul. As the Eastern Fleet commander, DGNO, and Western Naval Command Chief, he has been actively involved in the high tempo of naval maritime operations. Notably, he has also spearheaded the entire modernization of the force, first as the Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Policy and Plans) and now as the Vice Chief since January this year.
Illustrious Career
An alumnus of Sainik School, Rewa, Madhya Pradesh, and NDA, VCNS Tripathi has an illustrious career. He also served as the Chief of Personnel (COP) at the Naval Headquarters in Delhi until he assumed charge of Western Command on 1 March 2023. Being the senior most among the contenders—Vice Admiral Sanjay Jasjit Singh, FOC-in-C, Western Command, and Vice Admiral Rajesh Pendharkar, FOC-in-C), Eastern Naval Command— Vice Admiral Tripathi took over as Vice Chief of Naval Staff (VCNS) in January 2024 following swapping their posts with Vice Adm SJ Singh, three months ahead to take over as CNS this month.
During the period of July 2020 to May 2021, he served as the Director General of Naval Operations, a phase marked by intense maritime operations fueled by increased Chinese activity in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and the India-China military standoff at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh. During this period, the Indian Navy’s P-8I surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft were deployed to monitor the real-time activities of the PLA along the border.
Ravi Shankar
