Vice Admiral AK Chawla, PVSM, AVSM, NM, VSM (Retd) superannuated from the Indian Navy on 30 November 2021 as the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Navy's Southern Command. Over the course of his career, he has commanded five warships, including the aircraft carrier, INS Viraat and the Indian Navy's Western Fleet. He is an accomplished maritime thinker and author, and has completed his PhD on ""The Role of Maritime Power in China's Grand Strategy"". An active contributor to various defence journals, he is currently an Eminent Resource Faculty- Adjunct Professor for the Rashtriya Raksha University and a Council Member of the United Services Institute, as also several other think tanks, besides being involved in various social and environmental initiatives.