Captain Krishna Swaminathan has assumed charge as the second Commanding Officer of INS Vikramaditya, Indian Navy’s new and formidable aircraft carrier at Karwar. The ship was commissioned at Severodvinsk in Russia on November 16, 2013, and has since been commanded by Captain Suraj Berry, NM.

Captain Krishna Swaminathan is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, 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.

Captain Swaminathan did his schooling from Bishop Cotton Boys’ School, Bengaluru, and Sainik School, Bijapur. He had previously commanded missile vessels INS Vidyut and Vinash, missile corvette INS Kulish and guided missile destroyer INS Mysore. He has a BSc degree from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, a post-graduate diploma in personnel management from the Xavier Institute of Management, Mumbai, MA (defence studies) from King’s College, London, M.Phil (defence and strategic studies) from Mumbai University and has submitted his thesis on international relations to the Mumbai University for a Ph.D degree. He has been on the staff of the Western Fleet, an instructor at the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, and Director and Principal Director Naval Signals at Naval Headquarters. The officer was Naval Assistant to the Chief of the Naval Staff in his previous appointment.

INS Vikramaditya, the flagship and centre-piece of the Navy’s operations, is under the administrative control of the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command, Mumbai and is part of the sword arm of Indian Navy, viz. the Western Fleet.

The ship is capable of operating MiG-29K/KuB fighters, Sea Harrier, Kamov-31, Kamov-28, Sea King, advanced light helicopter and Chetak helicopters from its deck. INS Vikramaditya is a significant accretion to the blue water capability of the Indian Navy and is very aptly described by its motto ‘Strike Far, Strike Sure’.