Vice Admiral Kankipati Appala Satyanarayana Zagapathi 'KASZ' Raju,

PVSM Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM) (IAST: ) is a military award of India. It was constituted in 1960 and since then it is awarded in recognition to peace-time service of the most exceptional order and may be awarded posthumously. All ranks of the ...

AVSM Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM) is a military award of India given to recognize "distinguished service of an exceptional order" to all ranks of the armed forces. The award is a peacetime equivalent of Uttam Yuddh Seva Medal, which is a Wartime Dis ...

, NM is a former Flag officer in the

Indian Navy The Indian Navy is the maritime branch of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Navy. The Chief of Naval Staff, a four-star admiral, commands the navy. As a blue-water navy, it operates sig ...

. He last served as the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief

Western Naval Command The Western Naval Command is one of the three command–level formations of the Indian Navy. It is headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra. As the senior–most of the three formations, the command is responsible for the all naval forces in the A ...

, from 1992 to 1994. A

naval aviator Naval aviation is the application of military air power by navies, whether from warships that embark aircraft, or land bases. Naval aviation is typically projected to a position nearer the target by way of an aircraft carrier. Carrier-based a ...

, he was part of the Navy's first naval air squadron

INAS 300 The INAS 300 is the longest serving combat unit of the Indian Navy, based at INS Hansa. History The White Tigers were commissioned on 7 July 1959 at RNAS Brawdy, United Kingdom with the Indian High Commissioner to UK, Vijay Laxmi Pandit, in ...

and was embarked on the Navy's first

aircraft carrier An aircraft carrier is a warship that serves as a seagoing airbase, equipped with a full-length flight deck and facilities for carrying, arming, deploying, and recovering aircraft. Typically, it is the capital ship of a fleet, as it allows a ...

. During the

Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 The Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 was a military confrontation between India and Pakistan that occurred during the Bangladesh Liberation War in East Pakistan from 3 December 1971 until the Pakistani capitulation in Dhaka on 16 Decem ...

, he was the

executive officer An executive officer is a person who is principally responsible for leading all or part of an organization, although the exact nature of the role varies depending on the organization. In many militaries and police forces, an executive officer, o ...

of the

Leopard-class frigate The Type 41 or ''Leopard'' class were a class of anti-aircraft defence frigates built for the Royal Navy (4 ships) and Indian Navy (3 ships) in the 1950s.Purvis, M.K., 'Post War RN Frigate and Guided Missile Destroyer Design 1944-1969', Transact ...

, for which he was awarded the

Nao Sena Medal Nau Sena Medal (also spelt ''Nao Sena Medal'', lit. ''Navy Medal'') is a gallantry award for servicemen in the Indian Navy. History The Nao Sena Medal was instituted on 26 January 1960 by the Government of India, with the approval of the Presid ...

. He later commanded the

Western Fleet The Red Sea Fleet Command or officially Western Fleet (WF), also called ''" West Coast Fleet ",'' is a regional naval fleet and one of the two main formations of the Saudi Arabian Navy, with headquarters at Royal Naval Base at Jeddah, Western Pro ...

and the

Southern Naval Command The Southern Naval Command is one of the three command-level formations of the Indian Navy. It has its headquarters in Kochi, Kerala at INS Venduruthy. It is the Training Command of the Indian Navy. The Command is commanded by a Three Star Fla ...

Early life and education

Raju joined the

Rashtriya Indian Military College The Rashtriya Indian Military College (abbreviated RIMC; formerly known as Prince of Wales Royal Indian Military College) is a military school for boys and girls situated in Doon Valley, Dehradun in India. The RIMC is a feeder institution for ...

Dehradun Dehradun () is the capital and the most populous city of the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is the administrative headquarters of the eponymous district and is governed by the Dehradun Municipal Corporation, with the Uttarakhand Legislative As ...

in 1948. After passing the entrance examination, he joined the 10th course of the Joint Services Wing in Dehradun in 1953. In December 1954, the

National Defence Academy The National Defence Academy (NDA) is the joint defence service training institute of the Indian Armed Forces, where cadets of the three services i.e. the Indian Army, the Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force train together before they go on ...

(NDA) was commissioned in Khadakvasla, near Pune. The 10th course moved to NDA when parts of the academy were under construction. After graduating from NDA, Raju was commissioned in the Indian Navy on 1 July 1958.

Naval career

Early career

Raju trained as a naval aviator and joined the first squadron of the Indian Navy -

. He flew the

Hawker Sea Hawk The Hawker Sea Hawk is a British single-seat jet day fighter formerly of the Fleet Air Arm (FAA), the air branch of the Royal Navy (RN), built by Hawker Aircraft and its sister company, Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft. Although its design origina ...

aircraft. In February 1961, India's first

was commissioned in Belfast. The squadron was based out of

RNAS Brawdy The Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) was the air arm of the Royal Navy, under the direction of the Admiralty's Air Department, and existed formally from 1 July 1914 to 1 April 1918, when it was merged with the British Army's Royal Flying Corps ...

in Wales. In August, the Sea Hawks of

embarked on the ''Vikrant'' in the English Channel. After work-up and sea trials in the Mediterranean, ''Vikrant'' entered home waters in November. Aircraft of the

Indian Air Force The Indian Air Force (IAF) is the air arm of the Indian Armed Forces. Its complement of personnel and aircraft assets ranks third amongst the air forces of the world. Its primary mission is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial w ...

welcomed the ship and INAS 300, along with

INAS 310 The INAS 310 is an Indian naval air squadron based at INS Hansa. Earlier it was shifted from INS Hansa to INS Sardar patel but later it was re-shifted to INS Hansa. History INAS 310 was formed on 21 March 1961 with Breguet Alizé carrier-bas ...

put up a flying demonstration. The squadron then disembarked and moved to

Sulur Air Force Station Sulur Air Force Station is an air base of the Indian Air Force located at Sulur near Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu and is India's second largest air base after Hindon AFS. It is the base which is responsible for protection of India's sea area. It is ...

. On 1 January 1968, Raju was promoted to the acting rank of

Lieutenant Commander Lieutenant commander (also hyphenated lieutenant-commander and abbreviated Lt Cdr, LtCdr. or LCDR) is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander. The corresponding rank i ...

. He then served on the Naval air station

INS Garuda INS Garuda , is an Indian naval air station located in Kochi, in the state of Kerala. Commissioned on 11 May 1953, it is the oldest operating air station of the Indian Navy. The air station is adjacent to INS Venduruthy and the headquarters of ...

. In June 1969, he was selected to attend the

Defence Services Staff College , motto_lang = sa , mottoeng = ''To War with Wisdom'' , established = (as the ''Army Staff College'', Deolali) , type = Defence Service Training Institute , affiliation = , endowment = , administrative_staff = , faculty = , presi ...

(DSSC),

Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by me ...

in the course commencing in January 1970. After graduating from DSSC, Raju was appointed

of the

Indo-Pakistani War of 1971

In mid-1971, the , ''Vikrant'' along with the frigates ''Brahmaputra'' and were moved from the

to the

Eastern Naval Command The Eastern Naval Command is one of the three command-level formations of the Indian Navy. It is headquartered in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. The command is responsible for the all naval forces in the Bay of Bengal and parts of the Indian Ocea ...

. With this, on 1 November 1971, the

Eastern Fleet Eastern may refer to: Transportation *China Eastern Airlines, a current Chinese airline based in Shanghai * Eastern Air, former name of Zambia Skyways *Eastern Air Lines, a defunct American airline that operated from 1926 to 1991 *Eastern Air L ...

came into existence, under the command of Rear Admiral

S. H. Sarma Vice Admiral Sree Harilal Sarma, PVSM (1 December 1922 – 3 January 2022) was an Indian Navy admiral who served as Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet (FOCEF) during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. He later served as the Flag Officer Commandi ...

. The ''Brahmaputra'' was deployed in the Bay of Bengal. She participated in the bombardment of Chittagong. On 14 December, ''Vikrant'' moved to Paradip for refuelling and the

Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet (FOCEF) is the title of the Indian Navy Officer who commands the Eastern Fleet, headquartered in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. The FOCEF is a Two Star Officer holding the rank of Rear Admiral. The Current FOC ...

transferred his flag to the ''Brahmaputra''. For his participation in the war as the XO of ''Brahmaputra'', Raju was awarded the

Nau Sena Medal Nau Sena Medal (also spelt ''Nao Sena Medal'', lit. ''Navy Medal'') is a gallantry award for servicemen in the Indian Navy. History The Nao Sena Medal was instituted on 26 January 1960 by the Government of India, with the approval of the Presid ...

for gallantry.

Post-war career

After the war, Raju was promoted to the rank of

Commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain. ...

. In 1973, he commanded the Inter-services guard of honour during the

Independence Day An independence day is an annual event commemorating the anniversary of a nation's independence or statehood, usually after ceasing to be a group or part of another nation or state, or more rarely after the end of a military occupation. Man ...

celebrations at

Red Fort The Red Fort or Lal Qila () is a historic fort in Old Delhi, Delhi in India that served as the main residence of the Mughal Emperors. Emperor Shah Jahan commissioned construction of the Red Fort on 12 May 1638, when he decided to shift hi ...

. He then took command of the

River-class frigate The River class was a class of 151 frigates launched between 1941 and 1944 for use as anti-submarine convoy escorts in the North Atlantic. The majority served with the Royal Navy and Royal Canadian Navy (RCN), with some serving in the other Al ...

. ''Tir'' was converted into a training ship and was part of 1 Training Squadron with the erstwhile flagship as the lead ship. Raju subsequently moved to Naval HQ as a Joint Director. In 1979, he was part of a delegation headed by the

Deputy Prime Minister A deputy prime minister or vice prime minister is, in some countries, a government minister who can take the position of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to that of a vice president, ...

and

Minister of Defence A defence minister or minister of defence is a Cabinet (government), cabinet official position in charge of a ministry of defense, which regulates the armed forces in sovereign states. The role of a defence minister varies considerably from coun ...

Jagjivan Ram Jagjivan Ram (5 April 1908 – 6 July 1986), known popularly as Babuji, was an Indian independence activist and politician from Bihar. He was instrumental in the foundation of the ''All India Depressed Classes League'', an organisation dedicated ...

to Bulgaria, Romania and the United Kingdom. He then took command of the

fleet tanker A replenishment oiler or replenishment tanker is a naval auxiliary ship with fuel tanks and dry cargo holds which can supply both fuel and dry stores during underway replenishment (UNREP) at sea. Many countries have used replenishment oilers. The ...

INS Deepak. On 27 August 1982, Raju was appointed the 15th

commanding officer The commanding officer (CO) or sometimes, if the incumbent is a general officer, commanding general (CG), is the officer in command of a military unit. The commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitu ...

of ''INS Vikrant'' and took over from Captain A. Ghosh. During his command, the

Sea Harrier The British Aerospace Sea Harrier is a naval short take-off and vertical landing/vertical take-off and landing jet fighter, reconnaissance and attack aircraft. It is the second member of the Harrier family developed. It first entered servic ...

aircraft were inducted and the first deck landing took place on 20 December 1983. After a two-and-a-half year stint as CO Vikrant, Raju was appointed Commanding Officer of the naval air station

INS Hansa INS Hansa, is an Indian naval air station located near Dabolim in Goa, India. Data current as of October 2006. It is India's biggest naval airbase. The military air base has a civil enclave, that operates as Dabolim Airport. History ''INS Ha ...

in Goa.

Flag Rank

In 1985, Raju was promoted to the rank of acting

Rear Admiral Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to a major general and air vice marshal and above that of a commodore and captain, but below that of a vice admiral. It is regarded as a two star "admiral" rank. It is often regarde ...

and appointed Assistant Chief of Personnel (ACOP) at Naval HQ. As ACOP he headed the career planning department. On 5 July 1987, he was appointed the next

Flag Officer Commanding Western Fleet Flag Officer Commanding Western Fleet (FOCWF) is the title of the Indian Navy Officer who commands the Western Fleet, headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra. The FOCWF is a two star admiral holding the rank of Rear Admiral. The appointment is consi ...

(FOCWF). On 9 July, he took over command from Rear Admiral

Vijai Singh Shekhawat Admiral Vijai Singh Shekhawat, PVSM, AVSM, VrC, ADC is a former Chief of Naval Staff of the Indian Navy. He was 15th Chief of Naval Staff and served as Navy Chief from September-30 1993 to September-30 1996. Admiral Shekhawat is a Patron of t ...

. During his tenure, the Indian Navy's second aircraft carrier reached India. The

Prime Minister of India The prime minister of India (IAST: ) is the head of government of the Republic of India. Executive authority is vested in the prime minister and their chosen Council of Ministers, despite the president of India being the nominal head of the ...

Rajiv Gandhi Rajiv Gandhi (; 20 August 1944 – 21 May 1991) was an Indian politician who served as the sixth prime minister of India from 1984 to 1989. He took office after the 1984 assassination of his mother, then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, to beco ...

welcomed the carrier when it reached Mumbai. As the FOCWF, Raju was among the senior officers welcoming ''Viraat'' to India. Under his tenure, two missile frigates also joined the fleet and became efficient units. After close to two years in command of the western fleet, Raju was promoted to the rank of Vice Admiral and moved to Naval HQ as Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff. In December 1990, he was appointed Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief

, succeeding Vice Admiral S.P. Govil. After he took over, he was tasked with an in-depth study of the command structure of the Indian Navy. The VAdm KASZ Raju Committee report recommended multiple changes in the structure at the naval commands as well as at the Naval HQ. It also recommended conversion of the Southern Naval Command from a training command to an operational command. However, these recommendations were not implemented. On 31 August 1992, Raju was appointed Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief

, succeeding Vice Admiral H. Johnson. He led the Western Naval Command for over two-and-a-half years. On 31 December 1994, he relinquished command, handing over to Vice Admiral

Vishnu Bhagwat Vishnu Bhagwat, PVSM , AVSM is a former Chief of the Naval Staff of India. He is the first and only Chief of Naval Staff who was relieved from office while still serving and stripped of Admiral rank as punitive measure. Career and Achieveme ...

. Raju retired from the Indian Navy on the same day after 37 years of service.

References

Bibliography

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Raju, KASZ Indian Navy vice admirals Deputy Chiefs of Naval Staff (India) Flag Officers Commanding Western Fleet Recipients of the Param Vishisht Seva Medal Recipients of the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal Rashtriya Indian Military College alumni Graduates of the Royal College of Defence Studies Indian naval aviators National Defence Academy (India) alumni Recipients of the Nau Sena Medal Defence Services Staff College alumni