New Delhi: Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan assumed charge as Chief of Personnel (COP) on October 6, 2023. The Flag Officer was Commissioned into the Indian Navy on July 1, 1987 and is a specialist in Communication and Electronic Warfare. He is an alumnus of National Defence Academy, Khadakvasla; 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, USA.
A recipient of the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal and Vishisht Seva Medal, the Admiral 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.
On promotion to the Flag rank, he served as 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 also instrumental in raising the Indian Navy Safety Team that oversees operational safety across all verticals of the Navy. He then went on to head the work up organisation of the Navy as the Flag Officer Sea Training, after which he was privileged to be appointed as Flag Officer Commanding Western Fleet. After commanding the Sword Arm, he was appointed Flag Officer Offshore Defence Advisory Group and Advisor Offshore Security and Defence to the Government of India, and thereafter as Chief of Staff of the Western Naval Command. The Flag Officer was later Controller Personnel Services at NHQ, a position he held till assuming his current assignment.
Admiral Swaminathan’s educational qualifications include a BSc degree from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi; MSc in Telecommunications from Cochin University of Science and Technology, Kochi; MA in Defence Studies from King’s College, London; MPhil in Strategic Studies from Mumbai University; and PhD in International Studies from Mumbai University.
