Admiral Dhowan (59) who has been the acting Navy chief since Joshi’s exit, has been appointed the Chief of Navy Staff superseding Western Naval Commander Shekhar Sinha.

He will have a tenure of 25 months, retiring in May 2016.

dmiral Dhowan, who is the 22nd Navy chief, has taken over the reins of the force at a time when it is grappling with mishaps involving its warships and other assets.

Admiral Dhowan, who had been the Vice Chief of the force since August 2011, was supposed to superannuate on May 31, this year.

A navigation and direction specialist, Admiral Dhowan is an alumnus of National Defence Academy, Defence Services Staff College and Naval War College, Rhode Island, USA.