Who Is Vice Admiral G Ashok Kumar? India's First National Maritime Security Coordinator

National Maritime Security Coordinator: Vice Admiral G Ashok Kumar took over as the first National Maritime Security Coordinator at the National Security Council Secretariat.

Vice Admiral G Ashok Kumar (ANI photo)

New Delhi: Vice Admiral G Ashok Kumar, former Vice Chief of the Navy, has been appointed as the first National Maritime Security Coordinator in the National Security Council Secretariat and will report to National Security Adviser Ajit Doval.

According to the government source quoted by news agency ANI, Vice Admiral G Ashok Kumar took over as the Vice Chief of the Naval Staff on 30 January 2019. An alumnus of Sainik School, Amravati Nagar, and National Defense Academy (NDA) at Khadakwasla in Pune, Ashok joined the Executive Branch of the Indian Navy on July 1, 1982.

Former Navy Vice Chief Vice Admiral G Ashok Kumar appointed as the first National Maritime Security Coordinator in the National Security Council Secretariat: Government sources pic.twitter.com/yAc3zejS8Z

— ANI (@ANI) February 16, 2022

During his extraordinary career spanning more than three decades in the Navy, the Admiral has held several challenging staff and command positions.

Who is Vice Admiral G Ashok Kumar?

Ashok Kumar joined the Executive Branch of the Indian Navy on 1 July 1982. He has been an alumnus of Sainik School in Amravati Nagar and National Defense Academy located in Pune. Vice Admiral G Ashok Kumar specialised in Shipping and Operations at Kochi in 1989. Thereafter, he was posted as a Shipping Officer in the Indian Navy ships Beas, Nilgiris, Ranvir and Vikrant. He took over as the Vice Chief of the Indian Navy on 30 January 2019. He retired on 31 July 2021 after serving in various positions in the Indian Navy for 39 years.

His important stint at sea included Staff Officer (Operations/ND) in the Indian Naval Work-up Team, Chief of the Training Team (Chief of the Navy) at the Defense Services Staff College, Wellington, Defense Advisor at the High Commission of India in Singapore and the Western Navy. The Command includes the Chief Staff Officer (Operations).

Ashok Kumar is a graduate of Defense Services Staff College, Wellington and has joined the Army Higher Command course in Mau, besides the Expeditionary Operations course at Quantico, Virginia, USA.