Pradeep Chauhan

Vice Admiral Pradeep Chauhan is the commandant of the Indian Naval Academy at Ezhimala. His previous posting was as the Assistant Chief of Naval Staff, Foreign Cooperation, Strategic Threats and Transformation He is an alumnus of India’s premier National Defence Academy at Khadavasala, the Defence Services Staff College at Wellington, the Naval War College at Karanja in Mumbai and the prestigious National Defence College, India at New Delhi. Chauhan has over 35 years of rich and varied experience in the Indian Navy. In his seagoing career, he has been singularly privileged to have held command of the Indian Navy’s frontline surface-combatants on four occasions. He has been instrumental in the conceptualisation and proving of tactics-of-war for the Indian Navy and has been the principal director in the Directorate of Naval Operations at Naval Headquarters, New Delhi. A Navigation and Direction specialist, he commanded the aircraft carrier INS Viraat. He was also part of the ‘Fourth Indian Scientific Expedition to Antarctica. Shore postings include among others heading the Naval Training Team at Defence Services Staff College, and Principal Director Naval Operations at Naval Headquarters.

Admiral Chauhan was appointed as the first Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Foreign Cooperation and Intelligence).

Upon his promotion as a rear admiral in 2005, he was tasked with setting up a new and vibrant organisational structure at New Delhi that has given a great fillip to both Naval Foreign Cooperation as well as Intelligence. He was promoted to the rank of vice admiral in 2009 and took over as the Chief of Staff of the Western Naval Command in August 2009. He is a recipient of the Vishisht Seva Medal and the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal.