Admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in many navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force. Admiral is ranked above vice admiral and below admiral of ...

Arun Prakash,

PVSM Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM) (International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration, IAST: , ) is a Military awards and decorations, military award of India. It is the highest peacetime medal of the Indian Armed Forces, and is awarded for "dist ...

AVSM Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM, ) is a military award of India given to recognize "distinguished service of an exceptional order" to all ranks of the armed forces. The award is a peacetime equivalent of Uttam Yuddh Seva Medal, which is a Wartime ...

, VrC, VSM (born October 1944) is a former Flag Officer of the

Indian Navy The Indian Navy (IN) (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the Navy, maritime and Amphibious warfare, amphibious branch of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Navy. The Chief of the Naval Staff (India), Chief ...

. He served as the Chief of the Naval Staff from 31 July 2004 to 31 October 2006 and as the Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee from 31 January 2005 to 31 October 2006. He is one of India's most decorated naval officers. Prakash was born in a military family and raised in Jammu and Kashmir. He joined the

National Defence Academy The National Defence Academy (NDA) is the joint defence service training institute of the Indian Armed Forces. Here, cadets of the Indian Army, Indian Navy, and Indian Air Force train together before they go on to their respective service a ...

, graduating in 1964. He was commissioned into the Indian Navy in 1966. Trained as a

naval aviator Naval aviation / Aeronaval is the application of military air power by navies, whether from warships that embark aircraft, or land bases. It often involves '' navalised aircraft'', specifically designed for naval use. Seaborne aviation encompas ...

, he served on India's first

aircraft carrier An aircraft carrier is a warship that serves as a seagoing airbase, equipped with a full-length flight deck and hangar facilities for supporting, arming, deploying and recovering carrier-based aircraft, shipborne aircraft. Typically it is the ...

. During the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, he was attached to the No. 20 Squadron IAF. He was awarded the Vir Chakra for leading airstrikes deep into enemy territory. After the war, in 1976, he attended the

Indian Air Force Test Pilot School The Indian Air Force Test Pilot School is a unit of the Indian Air Force (IAF) that evaluates aircraft and systems for induction into user organisations. Most new aircraft types and major airborne systems must have ASTE's stamp of approval to b ...

. He subsequently commanded the Chamak-class missile boat . He also commanded the naval squadron INAS 300 and led its conversion to the Sea Harrier. He then commanded the Leopard-class frigate which was converted to a training ship. He also commanded the Nilgiri-class frigate . In 1990, he was appointed the third

commanding officer The commanding officer (CO) or commander, or sometimes, if the incumbent is a general officer, commanding general (CG), is the officer in command of a military unit. The commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually give ...

of the aircraft carrier . As a commodore, He also commanded the

naval air station A Naval Air Station (NAS) is a military air base, and consists of a permanent land-based operations locations for the military aviation division of the relevant branch of a navy (Naval aviation). These bases are typically populated by squadron ...

INS Hansa in Goa. Prakash was promoted to flag rank in 1993 and appointed Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Air) (ACNS Air). In 1995, he took command of the Eastern Fleet as the 21st Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet (FOCEF). After a two-year stint, he took over as Assistant Chief of Personnel (ACOP). Promoted to vice admiral, he served as the

commandant of the National Defence Academy The Commandant of the National Defence Academy is the head and overall in-charge of the National Defence Academy. The Commandant of the Academy is a Three-star rank officer from the three Services in rotation. He is supported by the Deputy C ...

from 1997 to 1999, after which he took over as Chief of Personnel at Naval HQ. In 2001, he was appointed the first Commander-in-Chief of the newly created Andaman and Nicobar Command. He subsequently had stints as the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief

Western Naval Command The Western Naval Command is one of the three command–level formations of the Indian Navy. It is headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra. As the senior–most of the three formations, the command is responsible for the all naval forces in the A ...

and Vice Chief of the Naval Staff. On 31 July 2004, Prakash assumed office as the 18th chief of the Naval Staff. He took over as the Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee on 31 January 2005 from

General A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry. In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...

Nirmal Chander Vij.

Early life and education

Prakash grew up in the

Kashmir Valley The Kashmir Valley, also known as the Vale of Kashmir, is an intermontane valley in northern Jammu and Kashmir, a region in Indian-administered Kashmir.(a) (subscription required) Quote: "Kashmir, region of the northwestern Indian subcont ...

, where his father rose to be a District Commissioner of

Leh Leh () is a city in Indian-administered Ladakh in the Kashmir#Kashmir_dispute, disputed Kashmir region. The application of the term "administered" to the various regions of Kashmir and a mention of the Kashmir dispute is supported by the WP:TE ...

. His two elder brothers also joined the

Indian Armed Forces The Indian Armed Forces are the armed forces, military forces of the India, Republic of India. It consists of three professional uniformed services: the Indian Army, the Indian Navy, and the Indian Air Force.—— Additionally, the Indian Ar ...

, serving in the

Indian Army The Indian Army (IA) (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the Land warfare, land-based branch and largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Commander-in-Chief, Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head ...

. He graduated from the

in 1964,

in 1976, the

Defence Services Staff College The Defence Services Staff College (DSSC) is a defence service training institution of the Ministry of Defence, Government of India. It trains officers of all three services of the Indian Armed Forces – (Indian Army, Indian Navy, Indian Air ...

in 1979, and the U.S.

Naval War College The Naval War College (NWC or NAVWARCOL) is the staff college and "Home of Thought" for the United States Navy at Naval Station Newport in Newport, Rhode Island. The NWC educates and develops leaders, supports defining the future Navy and associa ...

in 1990.

Career

Early career

Prakash was commissioned into the Indian Navy as an acting sub-lieutenant on 1 January 1966. He specialised in

naval aviation Naval aviation / Aeronaval is the application of Military aviation, military air power by Navy, navies, whether from warships that embark aircraft, or land bases. It often involves ''navalised aircraft'', specifically designed for naval use. Seab ...

, qualifying as a pilot in the Sea Hawk jet fighter, flying from the deck of the

in 1968. As a junior officer, he served afloat in ''Vikrant'', , and INS ''Delhi''. His assignments in naval aviation included flying Islander aircraft with Indian Navy Air Squadron 550,

Vampire A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the Vitalism, vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead, undead humanoid creatures that often visited loved ones and c ...

and Kiran aircraft with Indian Navy Air Squadron 551, and Seahawk aircraft with Indian Navy Air Squadron 300.

Indo-Pakistani War of 1971

In the 1971 Indo-Pakistan War, then

Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...

Prakash was one of two naval pilots deputed to the

Indian Air Force The Indian Air Force (IAF) (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the air force, air arm of the Indian Armed Forces. Its primary mission is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during armed conflicts. It was officially established on 8 Octob ...

. He flew the

Hawker Hunter The Hawker Hunter is a transonic British jet propulsion, jet-powered fighter aircraft that was developed by Hawker Aircraft for the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It was designed to take advantage of the newly dev ...

aircraft for the 20th Squadron Lightnings. For his gallantry in air action over

West Pakistan West Pakistan was the western province of Pakistan between One Unit, 1955 and Legal Framework Order, 1970, 1970, covering the territory of present-day Pakistan. Its land borders were with Afghanistan, India and Iran, with a maritime border wit ...

and Jammu and Kashmir, he received the Vir Chakra. The Vir Chakra citation reads:

During the operations against Pakistan in December 1971, Lieutenant Arun Prakash was one of the two naval pilots on deputation to the Indian Air Force. On 4 December he led an Indian Air Force strike mission to an enemy airfield. In this mission, he destroyed enemy's heavy transport on ground and returned to base. On 5 December he led a very deep penetration day operational strike into enemy territory and attacked airfields heavily defended by air and ground forces. He destroyed enemy's heavy transport aircraft, attacked troops and supplies and returned to base. Throughout, Lieutenant Arun Prakash displayed gallantry, leadership and devotion to duty of a high order.

Post-War

Promoted to lieutenant commander on 1 May 1976, he flew the Super Constellation that year for maritime air reconnaissance with Indian Navy Air Squadron 312. He later commanded the missile boat INS ''Chatak'', the training frigate , the antisubmarine warfare frigate , and the aircraft carrier INS Viraat. He was promoted to

commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank as well as a job title in many army, armies. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countri ...

on 1 July 1980, and in 1983, while in command of Indian Navy Air Squadron 300, he supervised the training of Indian Navy crew members in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

for the Sea Harrier and ferried the newly acquired aircraft back to India. He commanded two Air Squadrons and the naval air station INS ''Hansa''. In his aviation assignments, he logged more than 2,500 hours in the air in single and multi-engined, shore-based and carrier-based aircraft. He was promoted to

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

on 1 July 1986. In 1992, he was appointed Naval Assistant to the Chief of the Naval Staff

Laxminarayan Ramdas.

Flag Rank

On 4 January 1993, Prakash was promoted to the rank of

rear admiral Rear admiral is a flag officer rank used by English-speaking navies. In most European navies, the equivalent rank is called counter admiral. Rear admiral is usually immediately senior to commodore and immediately below vice admiral. It is ...

and appointed Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Air) (ACNS Air). On 1 April 1995, after a two-year stint as ACNS, he was appointed the 21st Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet. He was in command of the Eastern Fleet for about a year-and-a-half. In late-1996, he moved to Naval HQ as Assistant Chief of Personnel (ACOP). He was then promoted to the rank of

vice admiral Vice admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, usually equivalent to lieutenant general and air marshal. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral. Australia In the Royal Australian Navy, the rank of Vice ...

on 31 July 1997, and took over as the

Commandant of the National Defence Academy The Commandant of the National Defence Academy is the head and overall in-charge of the National Defence Academy. The Commandant of the Academy is a Three-star rank officer from the three Services in rotation. He is supported by the Deputy C ...

, an appointment he served in till 19 March 1999. He then moved to NHQ, having been appointed Chief of Personnel. In October 2001, he became the first Commander-in-Chief of the newly established Andaman and Nicobar Command. Then, on 31 December 2002, he took over as the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief (FOC-in-C)

. Following this assignment, he was appointed the Vice Chief of Naval Staff, serving for a brief period from October 2003 to July 2004.

Chief of Naval Staff

Prakash was promoted to Full

and was appointed the 20th Chief of Naval Staff on 31 July 2004. With the retirement of

Nirmal Chander Vij, Admiral Prakash took over as the Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee on 31 January 2005. While serving as Chief of Naval Staff, Prakash played an important role in renewing the

's relationships with the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

and in developing a vision of India's maritime strategy. Prakash retired as Chief of Naval Staff in October 2006. He retired from the post of Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee at the same time.

Post-retirement

Prakash settled in Goa after retiring from the Navy. He was the Distinguished Chair at the Naval War College, Goa from 2016 to 2022.

Awards and decorations

Prakash was awarded the Vir Chakra in 1972, the

Vishisht Seva Medal The Vishisht Seva Medal (VSM, ) is a decoration of the Indian Armed Forces. It is awarded to recognize "distinguished service of a high order" to all ranks of the Indian Armed Forces. From 1980, the Yudh Seva Medal was introduced to recognize ex ...

in 1985, the

Ati Vishisht Seva Medal Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM, ) is a military award of India given to recognize "distinguished service of an exceptional order" to all ranks of the armed forces. The award is a peacetime equivalent of Uttam Yuddh Seva Medal, which is a Wartime D ...

in 1991 and the

Param Vishisht Seva Medal Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM) (International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration, IAST: , ) is a Military awards and decorations, military award of India. It is the highest peacetime medal of the Indian Armed Forces, and is awarded for "dist ...

in 2002.

Published writings

* ''From the Crow's Nest: A Compendium of Speeches and Writings on Maritime and Other Issues'', New Delhi: Lancer Publishers, 2007.

References

Sources

Official Biography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Prakash, Arun 1944 births Living people People from Anantnag Indian Navy admirals Indian naval aviators Defence Services Staff College alumni Naval War College alumni Recipients of the Param Vishisht Seva Medal Recipients of the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal Recipients of the Vir Chakra Recipients of the Vishisht Seva Medal Flag Officers Commanding Eastern Fleet Commandants of the National Defence Academy Chiefs of Personnel (India) Commanders-in-Chief, Andaman and Nicobar Command Vice chiefs of Naval Staff (India) Chiefs of the Naval Staff (India)