Vice Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi.
New Delhi: Vice Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi has been appointed the new chief of the Indian Navy, the Ministry of Defence (defence ministry) has notified. He will be succeeding Admiral Radhakrishnan Hari Kumar, as India Sentinels had predicted in January.
VAdm Tripathi, who was commissioned into the Indian Navy in July 1985, has had a distinguished career spanning various command and staff roles. He is a specialist in communication and electronic warfare. Prior to his appointment as the Navy chief, he served as the director general of naval operations and the flag officer commanding in chief of the Western Naval Command.
The new Navy chief assumes leadership at a crucial time. Indian warships are actively deployed in areas like the Gulf of Aden, facing challenges from Houthi rebels and Somali pirates. The Indian Navy, with its 140-warship fleet, has responded to over 20 such incidents on the high seas.
VAdm’s Tripathi’s appointment comes amid a larger leadership transition in the Indian defence establishment. His leadership will be crucial in addressing the rapidly expanding footprint of China in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
About Vice Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi
VAdm Dinesh K Tripathi is an alumnus of Sainik School, Rewa, and National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla. He was commissioned into the Navy on July 1, 1985.
A communication and electronic warfare specialist, the naval officer served on frontline warships of the Navy as signal communication officer and electronic warfare officer, and later as the executive officer and principal warfare officer of guided-missile destroyer INS Mumbai.
He also commanded INS Vinash, INS Kirch, and INS Trishul.
On promotion to the rank of vice admiral, in June 2019, he was appointed commandant of the Indian Naval Academy at Ezhimala, Kerala, and served as director general of naval operations (DGNO) from July 2020 to May 2021. Later, from June 2021 to February 2023, he served as the chief of personnel in the force.
The current Navy chief, Admiral Radhakrishnan Hari Kumar, is set to retire on April 30. At that time, VAdm Tripathi will be the most senior officer in the service.
