Admiral Arun Prakash assumed charge of the Indian Navy, as the 18th Chief of Naval Staff, on 31 July 2004 and retired in November 2006. While serving as Chief of Naval Staff, he played an important role in renewing the Indian Navy's relationships with the United States Navy and in developing a vision of India's maritime strategy. He specialized in aviation, and qualified as an aircraft carrier pilot on the Sea Hawk jet fighter from the deck of INS Vikrant in 1968. His aviation tenures include service in a number of Indian Naval Air Squadrons, namely INAS 550 Flying Fish, INAS 551 Phantoms and INAS 300 White Tigers. He graduated from the IAF's Test Pilots School in 1976, from the Defence Services Staff College in 1979 and from the US Naval War College in 1990. As a young Lieutenant, during the 1971 war, he served with an IAF fighter-bomber unit flying Hawker Hunters, and was awarded the Vir Chakra for gallantry in air action over West Pakistan and Jammu & Kashmir. He is currently chairman of the National Maritime Foundation.