New Delhi, Aug 1: Vice Admiral Sanjay Vatsayan assumed charge as the 47th Vice Chief of the Naval Staff (VCNS) on Friday.

After assuming the charge, he visited the National War Memorial in the national capital, where he laid flower wreaths to pay tribute to the soldiers who made the supreme sacrifice for the country.

Vatsayan was commissioned into the Indian Navy on January 1, 1988 and specialises in gunnery and missile systems. He has completed higher military education from Defence Services Staff College (Wellington), Naval War College (Goa) and National Defence College (New Delhi).

Vatsayan's Command assignments include a Coast Guard IPV, Missile vessels INS Vibhuti and INS Nashak, missile corvette INS Kuthar and Guided Missile Frigate INS Sahyadri (commissioning crew).

His staff assignments include Joint Director of Personnel, Director of Personnel (Policy), Director Naval Plans (Perspective Planning) and Principal Director Naval Plans. He relinquished the appointment of Deputy Chief of Integrated Defence Staff Policy Planning and Force Development (PP and FD), HQ IDS.

He held key strategic and policy positions at the Naval Headquarters as Joint Director and Director (Personnel Policy), Director (Naval Plans - Perspective Plan) and Principal Director (Naval Plans).

After promotion to flag rank in February 2018, he served as Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Policy and Plans), and then commanded the Eastern Fleet. For his outstanding leadership and service, he was conferred with the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in the year 2021.

According to the Navy, he later became Deputy Commandant of the National Defence Academy. In December 2021, he was appointed Chief of Staff of the Eastern Naval Command.

In this role, he managed operational readiness, manpower development and infrastructure upgrading. Before becoming Joint Chief of Naval Staff, he served as Deputy Chief of Integrated Defence Staff (Operations) and then DCIDS (Policy, Planning and Force Development) at Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff, where he contributed significantly to the formulation of policies promoting tri-army operational coordination, integration, force structure development and indigenisation.

Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, Chief of Integrated Defence Staff and all ranks HQ IDS, congratulated the Admiral and wished him the best of luck in his future role as the VCNS.

(IANS)

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