New Delhi | Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan will be the next Chief of the Naval Staff.

He will succeed Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi, who will be retiring from service on May 31.

Vice Admiral Swaminathan is currently serving as the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Western Naval Command.

The government has appointed Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan as the Chief of the Naval Staff, the Defence Ministry said.

The Flag Officer was commissioned into the Indian Navy on July 1, 1987, and specialises in communication and electronic warfare.

He is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakvasla; the Joint Services Command and Staff College, Shrivenham, United Kingdom; the College of Naval Warfare, Karanja; and the US Naval War College, Newport.

A recipient of the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal and Vishisht Seva Medal, the Admiral has held several key operational, staff and training appointments in his naval career.

He has commanded the missile vessels INS Vidyut and Vinash, the missile corvette INS Kulish, the guided missile destroyer INS Mysore, and the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya.