Vice Admiral Ajit Kumar P,
AVSM, VSM has assumed charge as the Vice Chief of Naval Staff from Vice Admiral
Karambir Singh AVSM at a formal ceremony held this morning at South Block, New
Delhi. Vice Admiral Karambir Singh proceeds to Visakhapatnam and is scheduled
to take over as Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Naval Command on 31
Oct 17.
Vice Admiral Ajit Kumar P,
AVSM, VSM is an alumni of the National Defence Academy. The Flag Officer was
commissioned in the Indian Navy on 01 Jul 81 and is a specialist in Missiles &
Gunnery. The Flag Officer has had extensive operational tenures onboard
frontline warships of the Indian Navy. He has had the distinction of having
commanded six seagoing platforms which include the guided missile corvette
Kulish (commissioning), the guided missile frigate Talwar, the guided missile
destroyers Mumbai and Mysore. The officer has done the Naval Higher Command
Course and is also an alumni of the Naval War College, Newport, Rhode Island,
USA.
His important shore/ staff
assignments include Director Maritime Warfare Centre, Visakhapatnam, Commanding
Officer of INS Dronacharya, Kochi, Chief Staff Officer (Operations) of the
Western Naval Command, Mumbai.
He was promoted to Flag Rank
in Sep 2009 and as a Rear Admiral, his assignments included Assistant Chief of
Personnel (HRD) at Naval Headquarters, Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet (FOCEF)
and Chief of Staff of Southern Naval Command. On promotion to the Rank of Vice
Admiral on 01 Dec 13, he was appointed as the Commandant of the Indian Naval
Academy, Ezhimala and thereafter has completed two joint service tenures as
Principal Staff Officer at Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff, tenanting the
billets of Deputy Chief of Integrated Defence Staff (Operations) and Deputy
Chief of Integrated Defence Staff (Policy Planning & Force Development).

DKS/GY