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== Naval career ==
== Naval career ==
Bahl was commissioned into the [[Indian Navy]] on 1 July 1984. He trained as a [[Naval aviator]] and is a [[maritime reconnaissance]] pilot, having flown six different types of aircraft. He also qualified as a ship's diver.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Desk |first1=News |title=Rear Admiral Puneet Kumar Bahl, VSM is Flag Officer commanding Maharashtra Naval Area |url=https://hwnews.in/news/national-news/rear-admiral-puneet-kumar-bahl-vsm-flag-officer-commanding-maharashtra-naval-area/34070 |website=HW English |date=12 February 2022}}</ref> As a pilot, he served at the [[naval air station]]s [[INS Garuda]] and [[INS Rajali]]. He also served on the [[Indian Air Force]] [[List of Indian Air Force stations|station]] [[Yelahanka Air Force Station|AFS Yelahanka]] and with the CGAS 700 squadron of the [[Indian Coast Guard]]. He also participated in flying operations in Operation Tasha and [[Operation Vijay (1999)|Operation Vijay]].<ref name="FOGA/FONA" />
Bahl was commissioned into the [[Indian Navy]] on 1 July 1984. He trained as a [[Naval aviator]] and is a [[maritime reconnaissance]] pilot, having flown six different types of aircraft. He also qualified as a ship's diver.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Desk |first1=News |title=Rear Admiral Puneet Kumar Bahl, VSM is Flag Officer commanding Maharashtra Naval Area |url=https://hwnews.in/news/national-news/rear-admiral-puneet-kumar-bahl-vsm-flag-officer-commanding-maharashtra-naval-area/34070 |website=HW English |date=12 February 2018}}</ref> As a pilot, he served at the [[naval air station]]s [[INS Garuda]] and [[INS Rajali]]. He also served on the [[Indian Air Force]] [[List of Indian Air Force stations|station]] [[Yelahanka Air Force Station|AFS Yelahanka]] and with the CGAS 700 squadron of the [[Indian Coast Guard]]. He also participated in flying operations in Operation Tasha and [[Operation Vijay (1999)|Operation Vijay]].<ref name="FOGA/FONA" />


Bahl has commanded the [[Brahmaputra-class frigate|Brahmaputra-class]] [[guided missile frigate]] {{INS|Betwa|F39}} and the [[Sukanya-class patrol vessel]] {{ship|INS|Sujata|P56}} and served on board the [[aircraft carrier]] {{INS|Vikrant|1961|6}}, the guided missile frigate {{ship|INS|Godavari|F20}} and INS Porbandar.<ref name="DG Seabird">{{cite web |title=Director General Project Seabird {{!}} Indian Navy |url=https://www.indiannavy.nic.in/content/director-general-project-seabird-0 |website=www.indiannavy.nic.in}}</ref> He has served as [[Directing staff]] at DSSC Wellington and subsequently as the Joint Director Naval Air Staff (Aviation Plans) at Naval headquarters.
Bahl has commanded the [[Brahmaputra-class frigate|Brahmaputra-class]] [[guided missile frigate]] {{INS|Betwa|F39}} and the [[Sukanya-class patrol vessel]] {{ship|INS|Sujata|P56}} and served on board the [[aircraft carrier]] {{INS|Vikrant|1961|6}}, the guided missile frigate {{ship|INS|Godavari|F20}} and INS Porbandar.<ref name="DG Seabird">{{cite web |title=Director General Project Seabird {{!}} Indian Navy |url=https://www.indiannavy.nic.in/content/director-general-project-seabird-0 |website=www.indiannavy.nic.in}}</ref> He has served as [[Directing staff]] at DSSC Wellington and subsequently as the Joint Director Naval Air Staff (Aviation Plans) at Naval headquarters.
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===Flag rank===
===Flag rank===
[[File:Rear Admiral Puneet K Bahl and the Commanding Officer of the visiting Omani naval ship.JPG|thumb|right|RAdm Bahl as FOGA/FONA with the CO of a visiting [[Royal Navy of Oman]] ship.]]
[[File:Rear Admiral Puneet K Bahl and the Commanding Officer of the visiting Omani naval ship.JPG|thumb|right|RAdm Bahl as FOGA/FONA with the CO of a visiting [[Royal Navy of Oman]] ship.]]
In January 2015, Bahl was promoted to the rank of [[Rear admiral (India)|rear admiral]] and appointed Assistant Chief of the Integrated Defence Staff, WSOI (ACIDS WSOI) at the [[Integrated Defence Staff]] (IDS) headquarters. After a short stint as ACIDS, in October that year, he took over as the Flag Officer Commanding Goa Naval Area (FOGA) and dual-hatted as the Flag Officer Naval Aviation (FONA).<ref name="FOGA/FONA">{{cite web |agency=Press Trust of India |title=Rear Admiral Puneet Bahl is new Flag Officer Goa Area |url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/rear-admiral-puneet-bahl-is-new-flag-officer-goa-area-115100600880_1.html |website=Business Standard India |date=6 October 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=h21 |url=http://sainiksamachar.nic.in/englisharchives/2017/feb16-17/h21.htm |website=sainiksamachar.nic.in}}</ref>  He served as FOGA&FONA for two-and-a-half years, after which he moved to Mumbai as the Flag Officer Commanding Maharashtra Naval Area (FOMA), succeeding Rear Admiral [[Sanjay Mahindru]] in February 2018.<ref name="FOMA">{{cite web |title=Rear Admiral Puneet Kumar Bahl, VSM Assumes Charge as Flag Officer Commanding Maharashtra Naval Area {{!}} Indian Navy |url=https://www.indiannavy.nic.in/content/rear-admiral-puneet-kumar-bahl-vsm-assumes-charge-flag-officer-commanding-maharashtra-naval |website=www.indiannavy.nic.in}}</ref><ref name="FOMA twitter">{{cite tweet|number=963072260163563525|user=indiannavy|title=Rear Admiral Puneet Kumar Bahl VSM assumes charge as Flag officer Commanding Maharashtra Naval Area (FOMA)|date=2018-02-12|language=en}}</ref>
In January 2015, Bahl was promoted to the rank of [[Rear admiral (India)|rear admiral]] and appointed Assistant Chief of the Integrated Defence Staff, WSOI (ACIDS WSOI) at the [[Integrated Defence Staff]] (IDS) headquarters. After a short stint as ACIDS, in October that year, he took over as the Flag Officer Commanding Goa Naval Area (FOGA) and dual-hatted as the Flag Officer Naval Aviation (FONA).<ref name="FOGA/FONA">{{cite web |agency=Press Trust of India |title=Rear Admiral Puneet Bahl is new Flag Officer Goa Area |url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/rear-admiral-puneet-bahl-is-new-flag-officer-goa-area-115100600880_1.html |website=Business Standard India |date=6 October 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=h21 |url=http://sainiksamachar.nic.in/englisharchives/2017/feb16-17/h21.htm |website=sainiksamachar.nic.in}}</ref>  He served as FOGA&FONA for two-and-a-half years, after which he moved to Mumbai as the Flag Officer Commanding Maharashtra Naval Area (FOMA), succeeding Rear Admiral [[Sanjay Mahindru]] in February 2018.<ref name="FOMA">{{cite web |title=Rear Admiral Puneet Kumar Bahl, VSM Assumes Charge as Flag Officer Commanding Maharashtra Naval Area {{!}} Indian Navy |url=https://www.indiannavy.nic.in/content/rear-admiral-puneet-kumar-bahl-vsm-assumes-charge-flag-officer-commanding-maharashtra-naval |website=www.indiannavy.nic.in}}</ref><ref name="FOMA twitter">{{cite tweet|number=963072260163563525|user=indiannavy|title=Rear Admiral Puneet Kumar Bahl VSM assumes charge as Flag officer Commanding Maharashtra Naval Area (FOMA)|date=2018-02-12|language=en}}</ref>




In 2019, he was appointed Chief Staff Officer (Training) of the [[Southern Naval Command]] in Kochi.<ref name="CSO (Trg)">{{cite web |title=Airborne Tacticians for Navy and Coast Guard |url=https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1578066 |website=pib.gov.in}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=13 Navy, 3 Coast Guard officers graduate as Observers at Passing Out Parade at INS Garuda |url=https://zeenews.india.com/india/13-navy-3-coast-guard-officers-graduate-as-observers-at-passing-out-parade-at-ins-garuda-2218252.html |website=Zee News |language=en |date=10 July 2022}}</ref> He subsequently served as the Chief Instructor (Navy) at the [[Defence Services Staff College]] (DSSC), [[Wellington Cantonment|Wellington]]. On 1 January 2021, he was promoted to the rank of [[Vice admiral (India)|vice admiral]] and appointed Director General Project Seabird.
In 2019, he was appointed Chief Staff Officer (Training) of the [[Southern Naval Command]] in Kochi.<ref name="CSO (Trg)">{{cite web |title=Airborne Tacticians for Navy and Coast Guard |url=https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1578066 |website=pib.gov.in}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=13 Navy, 3 Coast Guard officers graduate as Observers at Passing Out Parade at INS Garuda |url=https://zeenews.india.com/india/13-navy-3-coast-guard-officers-graduate-as-observers-at-passing-out-parade-at-ins-garuda-2218252.html |website=Zee News |language=en |date=10 July 2019}}</ref> He subsequently served as the Chief Instructor (Navy) at the [[Defence Services Staff College]] (DSSC), [[Wellington Cantonment|Wellington]]. On 1 January 2021, he was promoted to the rank of [[Vice admiral (India)|vice admiral]] and appointed Director General Project Seabird.


==Personal life==
==Personal life==
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{{s-inc}}
{{s-inc}}
{{s-bef| before = [[Sanjay Mahindru]]}}
{{s-bef| before = [[Sanjay Mahindru]]}}
{{s-ttl| title = Flag Officer Commanding Maharashtra Naval Area | years = 2018–2022}}
{{s-ttl| title = Flag Officer Commanding Maharashtra Naval Area | years = 2018–2019}}
{{s-aft|after= [[Rajesh Pendharkar]]}}
{{s-aft|after= [[Rajesh Pendharkar]]}}
{{s-bef| before = [[Ravneet Singh (vice admiral)|Ravneet Singh]]}}
{{s-bef| before = [[Ravneet Singh (vice admiral)|Ravneet Singh]]}}
{{s-ttl| title = Flag Officer Commanding Goa Area & Flag Officer Naval Aviation | years = 2015–2022}}
{{s-ttl| title = Flag Officer Commanding Goa Area & Flag Officer Naval Aviation | years = 2015–2018}}
{{s-aft|after= [[Philipose George Pynumootil]]}}
{{s-aft|after= [[Philipose George Pynumootil]]}}
{{s-end}}
{{s-end}}

Revision as of 13:46, 1 November 2022


Vice Admiral

Puneet K Bahl

AVSM, VSM
Allegiance India
Service/branch Indian Navy
Years of service1984–present
Rank Vice Admiral
Commands heldIndian Naval Academy
Project Seabird
Maharashtra Area
Goa Area
INS Rajali
INS Betwa (F39)
INS Sujata (P56)
Awards Ati Vishisht Seva Medal
Vishisht Seva Medal

Vice Admiral Puneet Kumar Bahl, AVSM, VSM is a serving officer in the Indian Navy. He currently serves as the Commandant of the Indian Naval Academy.[1] He previously served as the Director General Project Seabird, Flag Officer Maharashtra Area (FOMA) in Mumbai and as the Flag Officer Commanding Goa Naval Area (FOGA) and Flag Officer Naval Aviation (FONA) in Goa.

Early life and education

Bahl graduated from the National Defence Academy, Pune. He later attended the Defence Services Staff College (DSSC), Wellington where he was awarded the Lengtaine Medal, and the Naval higher command course at the College of Naval Warfare, Mumbai.[2]

Naval career

Bahl was commissioned into the Indian Navy on 1 July 1984. He trained as a Naval aviator and is a maritime reconnaissance pilot, having flown six different types of aircraft. He also qualified as a ship's diver.[3] As a pilot, he served at the naval air stations INS Garuda and INS Rajali. He also served on the Indian Air Force station AFS Yelahanka and with the CGAS 700 squadron of the Indian Coast Guard. He also participated in flying operations in Operation Tasha and Operation Vijay.[4]

Bahl has commanded the Brahmaputra-class guided missile frigate INS Betwa (F39) and the Sukanya-class patrol vessel INS Sujata (P56) and served on board the aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, the guided missile frigate INS Godavari (F20) and INS Porbandar.[2] He has served as Directing staff at DSSC Wellington and subsequently as the Joint Director Naval Air Staff (Aviation Plans) at Naval headquarters.

As a Captain, he served as the Defence Attaché (DA) in Japan and Republic of Korea at the Embassy of India at Tokyo from 2007 to 2010. As the DA, he coordinated and facilitated a Joint Declaration on Security Cooperation between India and Japan.[5] Promoted to the rank of commodore, Bahl commanded the premier strategic airbase INS Rajali. He oversaw the induction and operationalisation of the Boeing P-8I for which the base was awarded with the unit citation by the Chief of the Naval Staff (India).[2]

Flag rank

RAdm Bahl as FOGA/FONA with the CO of a visiting Royal Navy of Oman ship.

In January 2015, Bahl was promoted to the rank of rear admiral and appointed Assistant Chief of the Integrated Defence Staff, WSOI (ACIDS WSOI) at the Integrated Defence Staff (IDS) headquarters. After a short stint as ACIDS, in October that year, he took over as the Flag Officer Commanding Goa Naval Area (FOGA) and dual-hatted as the Flag Officer Naval Aviation (FONA).[4][6] He served as FOGA&FONA for two-and-a-half years, after which he moved to Mumbai as the Flag Officer Commanding Maharashtra Naval Area (FOMA), succeeding Rear Admiral Sanjay Mahindru in February 2018.[5][7]


In 2019, he was appointed Chief Staff Officer (Training) of the Southern Naval Command in Kochi.[8][9] He subsequently served as the Chief Instructor (Navy) at the Defence Services Staff College (DSSC), Wellington. On 1 January 2021, he was promoted to the rank of vice admiral and appointed Director General Project Seabird.

Personal life

Bahl is married to Anjali Bahl. The couple have two sons, Dhruv and Robin.[2]

Awards and decorations

In 2005, he was awarded the Chief of Naval Staff commendation card. For distinguished service, he was awarded the Vishisht Seva Medal in 2015 and the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in 2020.

Template:Ribbon devices/alt Template:Ribbon devices/alt Template:Ribbon devices/alt Template:Ribbon devices/alt
Template:Ribbon devices/alt Template:Ribbon devices/alt Template:Ribbon devices/alt Template:Ribbon devices/alt
Template:Ribbon devices/alt Template:Ribbon devices/alt Template:Ribbon devices/alt
Ati Vishisht Seva Medal Vishisht Seva Medal Special Service Medal Operation Vijay Star
Operation Vijay Medal Operation Parakram Medal Sainya Seva Medal 50th Anniversary of Independence Medal
30 Years Long Service Medal 20 Years Long Service Medal 9 Years Long Service Medal

See also

References

  1. ↑ "COMMANDANT,VICE ADMIRAL PUNEET K BAHL , AVSM, VSM". 2021-12-27.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "Director General Project Seabird | Indian Navy". www.indiannavy.nic.in.
  3. ↑ Desk, News (12 February 2018). "Rear Admiral Puneet Kumar Bahl, VSM is Flag Officer commanding Maharashtra Naval Area". HW English. {{cite web}}: |last1= has generic name (help)
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Rear Admiral Puneet Bahl is new Flag Officer Goa Area". Business Standard India. Press Trust of India. 6 October 2015.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Rear Admiral Puneet Kumar Bahl, VSM Assumes Charge as Flag Officer Commanding Maharashtra Naval Area | Indian Navy". www.indiannavy.nic.in.
  6. ↑ "h21". sainiksamachar.nic.in.
  7. ↑ @indiannavy (2018-02-12). "Rear Admiral Puneet Kumar Bahl VSM assumes charge as Flag officer Commanding Maharashtra Naval Area (FOMA)" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  8. ↑ "Airborne Tacticians for Navy and Coast Guard". pib.gov.in.
  9. ↑ "13 Navy, 3 Coast Guard officers graduate as Observers at Passing Out Parade at INS Garuda". Zee News. 10 July 2019.
Military offices
Preceded by
M. A. Hampiholi 		Commandant, Indian Naval Academy
December 2021–resent 		Incumbent
Preceded by
Sanjay Mahindru 		Flag Officer Commanding Maharashtra Naval Area
2018–2019 		Succeeded by
Rajesh Pendharkar
Preceded by
Ravneet Singh 		Flag Officer Commanding Goa Area & Flag Officer Naval Aviation
2015–2018 		Succeeded by
Philipose George Pynumootil
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