Former Navy Chief Admiral Sushil Kumar dies at 79 due to illness

Former Navy Chief Admiral Sushil Kumar died in the early hours of Wednesday at the Army Research and Referral Hospital in Delhi due to illness. He was 79-years-old. Admiral Kumar was the 16th Chief of Naval Staff and assumed office on December 30, 1998.

Admiral Kumar, who led the Indian navy during the Kargil War, was a specialist in hydrography and amphibious warfare. He authored a book named "A Prime Minister to Remember- Memories of a Military Chief" which highlighted the key defence-related decisions taken by former prime minister late Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Admiral Kumar served as Navy Chief between 1998 and 2001 and also oversaw Kargil conflict in 1999. He participated in the 1961 invasion of Goa and in both the Indo-Pakistan wars of 1965 and 1971. 

As Director of Naval Operations, he was decorated with an Uttam Yudh Seva Medal for his exceptional conduct in Operation Pawan and in Operation Cactus (Liberation of Maldives). 

Kumar had credited Vajpayee for turning the strategic tactical loss into a massive victory.

with ANI inputs