During the operations against Pakistan in December 1971, Lieutenant Arun Prakash was one of the two naval pilots on deputation to the Indian Air Force. On 4 December he led an Indian Air Force strike mission to an enemy airfield. In this mission, he destroyed enemy's heavy transport on ground and returned to base. On 5 December he led a very deep penetration day operational strike into enemy territory and attacked airfields heavily defended by air and ground forces. He destroyed enemy's heavy transport aircraft, attacked troops and supplies and returned to base.
Throughout, Lieutenant Arun Prakash displayed gallantry, leadership and devotion to duty of a high order.[5]
The INS Vikrant in the early 1980s, carrying Sea Harriers and other aircraft
He was promoted to commander on 1 July 1980,[8] and in 1983, while in command of Indian Navy Air Squadron 300, he supervised the training of Indian Navy crew members in the United Kingdom for the Sea Harrier and ferried the newly acquired aircraft back to India. He commanded two Air Squadrons and the naval air station INS Hansa. In his aviation assignments, he logged more than 2,500 hours in the air in single and multi-engined, shore-based and carrier-based aircraft.[7] He was promoted to captain on 1 July 1986.[9] In 1992, he was appointed Naval Assistant to the Chief of the Naval Staff AdmiralLaxminarayan Ramdas.[10]
Flag Rank
On 4 January 1993, Prakash was promoted to the rank of rear admiral and appointed Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Air) (ACNS Air).[11] On 1 April 1995, after a two-year stint as ACNS, he was appointed the 21st Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet. He was in command of the Eastern Fleet for about a year-and-a-half. In late-1996, he moved to Naval HQ as Assistant Chief of Personnel (ACOP).
Prakash was promoted to Full Admiral and was appointed the 20th Chief of Naval Staff on 31 July 2004.[1] With the retirement of GeneralNirmal Chander Vij, Admiral Prakash took over as the Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee on 31 January 2005.[14] While serving as Chief of Naval Staff, Prakash played an important role in renewing the Indian Navy's relationships with the United States Navy[15] and in developing a vision of India's maritime strategy. Prakash retired as Chief of Naval Staff in October 2006.[16] He retired from the post of Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee at the same time.
Post-retirement
Prakash settled in Goa after retiring from the Navy. He was the Distinguished Chair at the Naval War College, Goa from 2016 to 2022.[17]
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