Vice Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi becomes Vice Chief of Navy

New Delhi: Vice Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi on Thursday assumed charge as Vice Chief of the Navy succeeding Vice Admiral Sanjay J Singh, who became Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the crucial Western Naval Command.

Prior to taking charge as the vice chief, Vice Admiral Tripathi was serving as the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Western Naval Command.

An alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, he was commissioned into the Indian Navy on July 1, 1985.

A Communication and electronic warfare specialist, he served on frontline warships of the Navy as signal communication officer and electronic warfare officer.

Vice Admiral Tripathi commanded Indian naval ships Vinash, Kirch and Trishul.

He has also held various important operational and staff appointments, including fleet operations officer of the Western Fleet at Mumbai, director of naval operations and principal director of network centric operations and naval plans in Delhi.

On promotion to the rank of Rear Admiral, he served as assistant chief of naval staff (policy and plans) at the naval headquarters and as the Flag Officer Commanding of the Eastern Fleet.

Vice Admiral Sanjay J Singh took over as the Flag Officer Commanding in-Chief (FOC-in-C) Western Naval Command on Wednesday.

He is a graduate of the National Defence Academy, Pune, and was commissioned in 1986 in the executive branch of the Navy.

In his career spanning 37 years, he has served on most class of ships of the Indian Navy and has held a range of command, training, and staff appointments, including assistant chief of naval staff (communications, space and network-centric operations), flag officer sea training, flag officer commanding Western Fleet, commandant naval war college, and controller personnel services and deputy chief of integrated defence staff (operations).

He was the lead drafter for the Indian Navy's Maritime Doctrine, 2009, Strategic Guidance to Transformation, 2015, and the Indian Maritime Security Strategy, 2015.

He specialised in Navigation and Direction in 1992 and attended the advanced command and staff Course in the UK in 2000.

In recognition of his distinguished service, the Flag Officer was awarded the Nau Sena Medal in 2009, and Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in 2020.