Vice Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi takes over as Vice Chief of Naval Staff

Vice Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi took charge as the Vice Chief of the Naval Staff on Thursday.

Prior to his current appointment, Vice Admiral Tripathi served as the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief (FOC-in-C) of the Western Naval Command.

An alumnus of Sainik School Rewa and the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, Vice Admiral Tripathi was commissioned into the Indian Navy on July 1, 1985.

Specializing in Communication and Electronic Warfare, he has an illustrious career serving on frontline warships, including stints as Signal Communication Officer and Electronic Warfare Officer.

Vice Admiral Tripathi commanded Indian Naval Ships Vinash, Kirch, and Trishul, demonstrating his leadership and operational skills. Throughout his career, he held various crucial operational and staff positions, such as Fleet Operations Officer of the Western Fleet at Mumbai and Principal Director of Network Centric Operations at New Delhi.

Promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral, he served as Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Policy and Plans) at NHQ and Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet. In June 2019, on reaching the rank of Vice Admiral, he assumed the role of Commandant of the Indian Naval Academy at Ezhimala, Kerala.

Subsequently, he held the position of Director General of Naval Operations from July 2020 to May 2021.

He ensured that the Navy remained a ‘Combat Ready, Credible, Cohesive and Future Proof Force’, ready to address a host of complex security challenges despite the all-around severity posed by the COVID pandemic.

His service continued as the Chief of Personnel from June 2021 to February 2023. Vice Admiral Tripathi has been recognized with the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM) and Nau Sena Medal (NM) for his dedication to duty.

Vice Admiral Tripathi is a graduate of the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, and has attended the Naval Higher Command Course and Naval Command College at the US Naval War College, Newport, Rhode Islands.

He received the prestigious Thimmaiya Medal during his tenure at the Defence Services Staff College and was awarded the Robert E Bateman International Prize during his time at the US Naval War College.

Beyond his military achievements, Vice Admiral Tripathi is known for his enthusiasm for sports, particularly tennis, badminton, and cricket.

The Flag officer is also a keen student of international relations, military history, and the art and science of leadership.

He is married to Shashi Tripathi, an artist and homemaker. The couple has a son, a practising lawyer, married to Tanya, working in the policy-making domain. (ANI)