Vice Admiral Rahul Vilas Gokhale Takes Over as Chief of Staff at Western Naval Command
Vice Admiral Rahul Vilas Gokhale, decorated with the YSM and NM honors, has taken on the role of Chief of Staff at the Western Naval Command (WNC), recognized as one of the Indian Navy's most active operational divisions.
He joined the Indian Navy on January 1, 1992, and is a graduate of prestigious institutions including the National Defence Academy (NDA) in Khadakwasla, the Defence Services Staff College (DSSC) in Wellington, the Naval War College, and the Australian Defence College (ADC).
Specializing in Navigation and Direction, Vice Admiral Gokhale has held a variety of significant positions both at sea and onshore. His commands have included INS Khukri, INS Kolkata, and the base depot ship INS Circars.
In his capacity as a Flag Officer, he has been the Flag Officer Sea Training (FOST) at Kochi, the Assistant Chief of Personnel focusing on Human Resource Development at Naval Headquarters, and the Flag Officer Commanding Western Fleet (FOCWF), which is famously referred to as the Sword Arm of the Indian Navy.
Assuming the position of Chief of Staff at the WNC, Vice Admiral Gokhale steps into a critical role as the command remains instrumental in defending India's maritime interests in the Arabian Sea and beyond.
