Admiral Dhowan

Admiral RK Dhowan is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy,  the Defence Services Staff College and the Naval War College, Newport,  Rhode Island, USA. 

His illustrious career began with being adjudged the ‘Best Cadet’  and winning of the coveted ‘Telescope’ during his sea training onboard  INS Delhi. He was commissioned in the Navy on 01 Jan 75 and went on to  bag the ‘Sword of Honour’ for his course. He was baptised in the art of  navigation when, as a young Lieutenant armed with a sextant and the  keen eyes of an enthusiastic navigator , he sailed from the port of Riga in  the Baltic Sea to the shores of Mumbai. With the induction of the Sea  Harrier jump-jets into the Navy, he was selected to undergo the Sea  Harrier Direction Course at Yeovilton, UK. His tenures at Indian Naval Air  Squadron 300 and the aircraft carrier Vikrant shaped the future of  direction specialisation in the Navy. 

Important staff assignments held by the Admiral at Naval  Headquarters during his distinguished career include Deputy Director  Naval Operations, Joint Director Naval Plans, Assistant Chief of the Naval  Staff (Policy and Plans) and Deputy Chief of Naval Staff. 

The Admiral has commanded three frontline warships of the  Western Fleet -the missile corvette Khukri, the guided missile destroyer  Ranjit and the indigenous guided missile destroyer Delhi. He also had the  proud privilege of commanding the Eastern Fleet as Flag Officer  Commanding Eastern Fleet.

Besides serving as Indian Naval Advisor at the High Commission of  India, London, he has also served as Chief Staff Officer (Operations) of  the Western Naval Command (based at Mumbai) and the Chief of Staff at  Headquarters Eastern Naval Command (based at Visakhapatnam) and  subsequently had the distinction of commanding his alma mater, the  National Defence Academy, as the Commandant. The Admiral assumed  charge as the Vice Chief of the Naval Staff in Aug 11 and was  subsequently promoted as the 22nd Chief of the Naval Staff of the Indian  Navy on 17 Apr 14. He retired from the Navy on 31 May 16 after a  distinguished career of 42 years in uniform.  

On 25 Nov 16, Admiral RK Dhowan (Retd) took over as the fifth Chairman of the National Maritime Foundation (NMF), New Delhi, which is  India’s premier maritime think tank. The Foundation has benefited  immensely from his vast experience in the Indian Navy in general and in  specific, formulation of a wide range of maritime strategic publications. Such as IN Maritime Cooperation Roadmap (2014), IN Space Vision (2014),  Indian Navy in the 21st Century: Maritime Security for National Prosperity  (2014), IN Maritime Capability Perspective Plan (2015), IN Maritime  Infrastructure Perspective Plan (2015), IN Indigenisation Plan (2015),  Science and Technology Roadmap (2015), Ensuring Secure Seas: Indian  Maritime Security Strategy (2015), Indian Maritime Doctrine (updated  2015), Maritime Heritage of India (2016) and United Through Oceans:  International Fleet Review 2016. In his new role as both the practitioner  and promoter of broader maritime thinking and fresh strategic  perspectives, the Admiral has been lecturing extensively at all leading  military colleges, think-tanks and academia in India, as well as at various apex-level institutions abroad, articulating his views on how the maritime  strategic landscape has been changing in the world and the leading role  India as a resurgent maritime nation would play in the Indo-Pacific  region. Under his visionary articulation, the National Maritime Foundation  is presently embarked on the mission for the development of strategies  for the promotion and protection of India’s maritime interests, ranging  from development of ports, shipping and shipbuilding to island  development and renewable sources of ocean energy. In addition various  aspects of harnessing the ‘Blue Economy’ and their advocacy to all stake holders, both Governmental and Non-Governmental.

I first met the distinguished Admiral through our common friend, the vice chancellor of Sai U, Jamshed Bharucha, who informed me of his pivotal role in creating the Global Maritime Accord, an initiative the Trebuchet has joined. He has been a wonderful participant in my Sai U academic colloquia, and has been a wonderful mentor to my students. I greatly respect his extraordinary military career, and admire his intellect, and his expansive knowledge that extends far beyond the core expectations of a commander and strategic thinker into the interdisciplinary embrace of environmental security. He is a prescient, thoughtful person who has brought together tremendous cadre of Admiralty colleagues and environmentalists and others to address a critical concern, the governance and preservation of the oceans.