Mumbai, Apr 1 (PTI) Navy chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi on Wednesday awarded Yudh Seva Medals to two top naval officers for their distinguished service during Operation Sindoor conducted last year after the Pahalgam terror attack.
In a naval investiture ceremony here, Admiral Tripathi awarded the medals to Vice Admiral A N Pramod, Director General of Naval Operations (DGNO), and Vice Admiral Rahul Gokhale.
A citation given to Vice Admiral Pramod said he played a vital role in shaping naval operations during Operation Sindoor last year. In the face of rapidly deteriorating security situation with Pakistan in April 2025, he was entrusted with the task of expeditiously formulating the Indian response plan, and executing it at the earliest.
As DGNO, he ensured formulation of a precise escalation matrix, meeting all higher directives, to ensure a punitive response to Pakistani forces, severely threatening their sea lanes of communication, as well as safeguarding own units, trade and India’s maritime interests, it said.
“His detailed planning, aggressive deployment of the Indian Navy assets in the North Arabian Sea and innovative utilisation of Special Operations teams during Operation Sindoor resulted in denying Pakistan Navy a safe space to operate, and compelled the Pakistan Navy to remain in their harbours, or operate close to the Pakistan Coast, thereby nullifying any seaborne threat to India’s national interests,” it said.
“In recognition of his professionalism, meticulous operational planning and single-minded devotion to duty to the nation, and Service as the Director General Naval Operations during Op Sindoor, Vice Admiral AN Pramod is awarded Yudh Seva Medal,” he said.
The Yudh Seva Medal is awarded for distinguished service of a high order during war/conflict/hostilities.
A citation given to Vice Admiral Gokhale said the aftermath of Pahalgam and subsequent launch of Operation Sindoor, his strategic foresight ensured six successful missile firings including surface-to-surface, surface-to-air vectors and full combat readiness of 22 Fleet warships within 96 hours. This marked one of the largest naval mobilisations since the 1971 war.
“This Task Force acted as a force for compellence, paralysed Pakistan’s naval mobility and confined its Navy close to coast. Subsequent manoeuvres by the fleet induced an urgent diplomatic outreach by the adversary, achieving the nation’s desired political ends without resorting to armed action,” it said.
His understanding of maritime doctrine and the adversary’s mental psyche based on his past diplomatic assignment as Naval Adviser at the Indian High Commission at Islamabad, significantly contributed towards the Indian Navy establishing sea control in the Northern Arabian Sea and “non-contact” force projection, it added.
“In recognition of his strategic foresight, operational brilliance, pragmatic, bold and decisive leadership of exceptional order as the fleet commander of the Western Fleet, displayed in extremely dynamic, hostile and challenging conditions, Vice Admiral Rahul Vilas Gokhale was awarded Yudh Seva Medal,” the citation said.
Captain Suraj Rebeira and Captain Vikas Garg, who commanded frontline warships during Operation Sindoor, Captain Piyush Katiyar, Commander Rajeshwar Sharma, Commander Vivek Kuriakose, who commanded frontline submarines, were awarded the Nao Sena Medal (Gallantry).
Commander Kapil Kumar, Lieutenant Commander Rishabh Purbia and Chief Mechanical Engineer Manoj Kumarwere also awarded Nao Sena Medal (Gallantry) for their role in Operation Sindoor. PTI PR NP
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