Vice Admiral Rahul Vilas Gokhale, YSM, NM, has assumed charge as the Chief of Staff of the Western Naval Command (WNC), one of the most operationally active formations of the Indian Navy.
Commissioned into the Indian Navy on January 1, 1992, Vice Admiral Gokhale is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy (NDA), Khadakwasla, the Defence Services Staff College (DSSC), Wellington, the Naval War College, and the Australian Defence College (ADC).
A Navigation and Direction specialist, he has held several key afloat and shore assignments, including command of INS Khukri, INS Kolkata, and the base depot ship INS Circars.
As a Flag Officer, he served as Flag Officer Sea Training (FOST) at Kochi, Assistant Chief of Personnel (Human Resource Development) at Naval Headquarters, and as the Flag Officer Commanding Western Fleet (FOCWF) — widely known as the Sword Arm of the Indian Navy.
Vice Admiral Gokhale’s appointment as Chief of Staff, WNC, comes at a time when the command continues to play a pivotal role in safeguarding India’s maritime interests in the Arabian Sea and beyond.
