OREANDA-NEWS. Vice Admiral G Ashok Kumar, AVSM, VSM has assumed charge as the Deputy Chief of Naval Staff today, 06 June 16. An alumnus of National Defence Academy, Khadakvasla, Pune, he was commissioned into the Executive Branch of the Indian Navy on 01 Jul 1982. 

The Admiral has held various challenging Staff and Command assignments during his distinguished naval career spanning more than three decades. After having completed his specialisation in Navigation and Direction at Kochi in 1989, he served as the Navigating Officer of Indian Naval Ships Beas, Nilgiri, Ranvir and Vikrant. His other sea tenures include Commanding Officer of INS Kulish and Ranvir, and Executive Officer onboard INS Brahmaputra. Among his shore tenures, the important ones include Staff officer (Ops/ND) at Indian Naval Work-up team, Head of Training Team (Navy) at Defence Services Staff College, Wellington and as Defence Advisor at the High Commission of India in Singapore. He has also been the Chief Staff Officer (Operations) of the Western Naval Command. On promotion to Flag rank, he has held the important assignments of Flag Officer Sea Training (FOST), Chief of Staff (COS) of Southern Naval Command and Flag Officer Maharashtra and Gujarat (FOMAG). In the rank of Vice Admiral he has been the Commandant of the National Defence Academy, Pune. The Admiral assumed the office of Deputy Chief of Naval Staff on 06 Jun 16.

The Admiral is a graduate of Defence Services Staff College, Wellington and has attended the Army Higher Command Course at Mhow as well as the Expeditionary Operations Course at Quantico, Virginia, USA.

The Admiral is married to Mrs Geetha Ashok and they have two daughters.