KOCHI: Vice-Admiral K N Sushil took charge as the Flag Officer Commanding- in-Chief of the Southern Naval Command (SNC) from Vice-Admiral Sunil K Damle at a ceremonial parade held on Monday at the Naval Base. Before attending the parade Vice- Admiral Damle placed a wreath at the War Memorial. The Admiral inspected a 50-men Guard of Honour with President’s Colours and the 18 platoons on parade, commanded by Commander Sai Ram Balaji, while the Navy Band under Master Chief Musician N S Rawat, played ‘Anand Lok’, ‘By Land and Sea’, ‘Rani ka Nishan’ and ‘Beneath the Waves’.
Admiral Sushil was introduced to the flag officers and commanding officers of ships and establishments of the command, after which the outgoing C-in-C Vice-Admiral Damle took the salute as the platoons advanced in ‘Review Order’.
Vice-Admiral Sushil also placed a wreath at the War Memorial before proceeding to the Headquarters of the SNC.
Commissioned into the Indian Navy in 1973, Admiral K N Sushil joined the submarine arm in 1976 and served on both the Vela class and the Shishumar class submarines. He was part of the commissioning crew of the German built SSK submarine INS Shankush as executive officer and subsequently commissioned the first indigenously built SSK submarine INS Shalki as its commanding officer. He also commanded INS Ranvijay and INS Delhi, the frontline destroyers of the Indian Navy.
On promotion to the rank of Rear Admiral, he held the appointments as Flag Officer Submarines (FOSM) at Visakhapatnam, Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Submarine) {ACNS (S/M)}, ACNS (Special Submarine Project) and Project Director ATV (Operations and Training) at the Integrated Headquarters, Ministry of Defence(Navy).
Admiral Sushil is an alumnus of the National Defence College and a recipient of the Nao Sena Medal(NM) in 1988 and Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM) in 2007.
Prior to his present appointment as the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of SNC, Adm Sushil was the Indian Navy’s first Inspector General of Nuclear Safety.
After formally handing over the charge at the headquarters of the SNC, Admiral Damle left for Goa, on retirement after 39 years of commissioned service in the Indian Navy.