Chennai: Commodore Kapil Mehta as Commanding Officer of the prestigious Naval Air Station INS Rajali in Arakkonam from Commodore R Vinod Kumar at an impressive change of Command ceremony.
Commodore Kapil Mehta, an alumnus of Naval Academy, Goa and a post-graduate from the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, has assumed command of this strategic Air Base of the Eastern Naval Command.
He is also an alumnus of Naval War College, Goa and National Defence College, New Delhi, a defence release said here today.
The officer was commissioned in the Navy on January one 1995. He is a naval rotary-wing pilot, qualified on both French Alouette and British Westland Seaking Helicopters.
He is also a Qualified Flight Instructor (QFI) and has flown extensively from all decks and Aircraft Carriers of Navy and has over 2200 hours of flying experience.
He has held various Command, Staff and Instructional appointments, both onboard and ashore. His important appointments onboard include Executive Officer of frontline stealth frigate INS Trishul and INS Vinash and Commanding Officer of stealth frigate INS Shivalik.