Kochi: Captain Varghese Mathew on Tuesday assumed charge as Naval Officer-in-Charge (Kerala) at Kochi.
A graduate of Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, Mathew is a Gunnery specialist, who has also undergone Club Missile course in St Petersburg, Russia, a Naval press release said.
His important sea appointments include Gunnery Officer INS Trishul - a stealth frigate and Executive Officer of INS Vidyut.
Mathew was part of the crew which carried out extensive patrolling off Gujarat coast and IMBL post 26/11Mumbai terrorist attack.
He has commanded INS Bangaram, based at Kochi in 2009-10, and was actively involved in various coastal security exercises and awareness programmes in Kerala in the aftermath of Mumbai attack. During this tenure, he also rescued about 42 fishermen from distress at sea on various occasions.
A native of Chambakulam in Alappuzha Dist, Captain Mathew is an alumnus of Sainik School Kazhakootam, Thiruvanathapuram and National Defence Academy, Khadakwasala, Pune.
He was commissioned in the Indian Navy on July one, 1996. Prior to taking over the present appointment, he was serving at Naval Headquarters in New Delhi.
He succeeds Capt Simon Mathai, who is proceeding to Visakhapatnam to take over command of a missile destroyer INS Rana.
