Sushil Kumar (admiral) explained

Honorific Prefix:Admiral
Office1:16th Chief of the Naval Staff
Termstart1:30 December 1998
Termend1:29 December 2001
President1:K. R. Narayanan
Primeminister1:Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Predecessor1:Vishnu Bhagwat
Successor1:Madhvendra Singh
Sushil Kumar Isaacs
Honorific Suffix:PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, NM
Birth Place:Neyyoor, Kanyakumari district, Tamil Nadu, India
Death Place:New Delhi
Allegiance: India
Serviceyears:1961 - 2001
Rank: Admiral
Commands:Chief of the Naval Staff
Southern Naval Command
FORTAN
Battles:Goa Liberation of 1961
Indo-Pakistan War of 1965
Indo-Pakistan War of 1971
Kargil War
Awards:Param Vishisht Seva Medal
Uttam Yudh Seva Medal
Ati Vishisht Seva Medal
Nao Sena Medal

Admiral Sushil Kumar Isaacs, PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, NM (died 27 November 2019) was an Indian Navy Admiral who served as Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) of the Indian Navy. He was the Director of Naval Operations during Operation Pawan and Operation Cactus and was the CNS during the Kargil War.

Early life

A native of Neyyoor (Nagercoil), he joined the Indian Navy and was commissioned in 1961. He ceased to use his surname of Isaacs[1] because it caused confusion with his brother, who shares the same initials and is also a naval officer.[2] He was an alumni of The Bishop's School, Pune

Naval career

A specialist in hydrography and amphibious warfare,[3] Kumar was also a qualified air warfare instructor. He was an alumnus of the National Defence College and was an instructor at the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington. His training abroad included a deputation to the Royal Navy on board in 1963 and a course in amphibious warfare with the US Navy at Coronado, California, in 1976.[4] He participated in the 1961 invasion of Goa and in both the Indo-Pakistan wars of 1965 and 1971. He was awarded the Nao Sena Medal for gallantry whilst in command of INS Ghorpad.

Kumar was promoted to substantive commander on 1 January 1977 and to captain on 1 January 1983.[5] [6] As Director of Naval Operations, he was decorated with the Uttam Yudh Seva Medal for his exceptional conduct in Operation Pawan and in Operation Cactus (Liberation of Maldives).

Flag rank

Kumar was promoted to substantive rear admiral on 6 July 1990.[7] Kumar held operational commands and important posts such as the Vice Chief of Naval Staff, the Flag Officer Commanding Maharashtra Naval Area (FOMA), Commander of the Flotilla in Mumbai and Fortress Commander, Andaman and Nicobar Islands (FORTAN). He was the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Southern Naval Command in Kochi, before being appointed the Chief of Naval Staff. Sushil Kumar assumed charge of the Indian Navy, as the 16th Chief of Naval Staff, on 30 December 1998. During his tenure as CNS, He was the highest-decorated serving officer in the Indian Navy, and he retired on 29 December 2001. He was a keen yachtsman and played polo on the international circuit, for which he had an international rating of 4+ goals.[4]

Death

Kumar died on 27 November 2019 at the Indian Army Research and Referral Hospital, Delhi at the age of 79. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences upon this.[8] [9]

Awards and decorations

Param Vishisht Seva MedalUttam Yudh Seva MedalAti Vishisht Seva MedalNausena Medal
General Service MedalPoorvi StarPaschimi StarSpecial Service Medal
Raksha MedalSangram MedalSainya Seva MedalVidesh Seva Medal
50th Anniversary of Independence Medal25th Anniversary of Independence Medal30 Years Long Service Medal
20 Years Long Service Medal9 Years Long Service Medal

Notes and References

  1. Edit from family
  2. News: Indian Express: Harinder's appointment will be reconsidered: CNS . Indian Express . 6 January 1999 . Gaurav C. . Sawant . 2013-07-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130923152926/http://expressindia.indianexpress.com/news/ie/daily/19990107/00750555p.html . 2013-09-23.
  3. Web site: Admiral Sushil Kumar . 21 February 2005 . Indian Navy Information Resource and Facilitation Centre . 2014-12-28.
  4. Web site: Admiral Sushil Kumar . https://web.archive.org/web/20090830133635/http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/NAVY/Navy-Chiefs/Chiefs-Navy18.html . 2009-08-30 . Bharat Rakshak.
  5. News: Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Navy Branch) . 1400 . 31 December 1977 . The Gazette of India.
  6. News: Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Navy Branch) . 1234 . 23 July 1983 . The Gazette of India.
  7. News: Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Navy Branch) . 970 . 22 May 1993 . The Gazette of India.
  8. Web site: PM condoles demise of former Navy chief Sushil Kumar. 27 November 2019. Press Trust of India. en. The Week. 2019-12-03.
  9. News: Former Navy Chief Admiral Sushil Kumar dead. Delhi. Special Correspondent New. 2019-11-28. The Hindu. 2019-12-03. en-IN. 0971-751X.