Sureesh Mehta is new Navy chief

New Delhi: Admiral Sureesh Mehta on Tuesday took over as the new Chief of the Naval Staff.

Like the outgoing naval chief Admiral Arun Prakash, Admiral Mehta too is a naval aviator.

Taking over as the Navy Chief, Mehta said that India needed more capability for surveillence over seas and the emphasis would be to operate warships far away from Indian shores.

Mehta was in charge of the Indian Navy's western fleet during Operation Parakram - the military mobilisation against Pakistan in 2002.

Admiral Mehta is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy and was commissioned in the Indian Navy in 1967 and was awarded the Ati Vishist Seva Medal in 1995 and the Param Vishist Seva Medal in 2005 for exceptional meritorious services.

During Mehta's tenure, the Indian Navy will acquire warships like the Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov and the American landing ship, USS Trinton.

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