Ajay Kumar at 09:15, 12 August 2023

2023-08-12T09:15:03Z

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{{Infobox military person
| honorific_prefix = [[Rear admiral (India)|Rear Admiral]]
| name = Ajay Daniel Theophilus
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| image = File:RADM AJAY D THEOPHILUS.jpg
| image_size = 200px
| alt =
| caption = Theophilus as Deputy Commandant INA
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| allegiance = {{IND}}
| branch = {{navy|India}}
| serviceyears = 1991 - present
| rank = [[File:British Royal Navy (sleeves) OF-7.svg|20px]] [[File:12-Indian Navy-RADM.svg|20px]] [[Rear admiral (India)|Rear Admiral]]
| servicenumber =
| unit =
| commands = Goa Naval Area [[INS Hansa]] {{ship|INS|Tarkash|F50}} {{ship|INS|Talwar|F40}} [[INAS 303]] {{ship|INS|Trinkat|T61}}
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[[Rear admiral (India)|Rear Admiral]] '''Ajay Daniel Theophilus''' is a serving flag officer of the [[Indian Navy]]. He currently serves as the Flag Officer Naval Aviation (FONA) and Flag Officer Goa Naval Area (FOGA). He previously served as the [[Commandant_of_Indian_Naval_Academy#Deputy_Commandants|Deputy Commandant]] of the [[Indian Naval Academy]] (INA). He earlier served as the Commanding Officer of [[INS Hansa]] and was the commissioning commanding officer of the first [[Mikoyan MiG-29K]] [[Indian Naval Air Arm|naval air squadron]] [[INAS 303]].

== Naval career ==
Theophilus joined the [[Indian Naval Academy]] on 28 August 1987 and was commissioned into the [[Indian Navy]] on 1 July 1991. He was selected to undergo the pilot's course in June 1992. He trained as a [[Naval aviator]] and qualified as a [[fighter pilot]]. He has over 3000 hours of flying experience and has flown the [[HAL HJT-16 Kiran]], the [[HAL HPT-32 Deepak]], the [[Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21]], the [[British Aerospace Sea Harrier]] and the MiG-29K aircraft.<ref name="PIB Bio">{{cite web |title=Rear Admiral Ajay D Theophilus assumed charge as FOGA |url=https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1944823 |website=pib.gov.in |access-date=11 August 2023}}</ref>

Theophilus completed the Flying Instructors Course in 2001 and has is a [[Qualified Flying Instructor]] (QFI) on Sea Harriers and MiG-29K. In 2004, India ordered the MiG-29K carrier-based fighter aircraft. Theophilus, as a [[Commander]], was selected to head the project. He was appointed Officer-in-Charge (OiC) Intensive Flying Trials Unit (IFTU) and trained in Russia. As OiC, he led the team for the trials and testing of the aircraft. On 11 May 2013, the naval air squadron [[INAS 303]] (The Black Panthers) was commissioned in Goa. Theophilus was the commissioning commanding officer and was the first Indian Pilot to land MiG-29K on the [[aircraft carrier]] {{ship|INS|Vikramaditya|R33}}.<ref name="INA website bio">{{cite web |title=Deputy Commandant {{!}} INA |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230423160840/https://www.ina.gov.in/?q=Deputy_commandant |website=web.archive.org |access-date=11 August 2023 |date=23 April 2023}}</ref>

Theophilus commanded the [[lead ship]] of [[Trinkat-class patrol vessel|her-class of patrol vessels]] {{ship|INS|Trinkat|T61}}. In the rank of [[Captain (Indian Navy)|Captain]], he served as the Captain (Air) of Vikramaditya. He subsequently commanded the lead ship of [[Talwar-class frigate|her-class]] of frigates, {{ship|INS|Talwar|F40}}. He later commanded her [[sister ship]] {{ship|INS|Tarkash|F50}}.<ref name="IN website - FOGA">{{cite web |title=RAdm Ajay D Theophilus assumed charge as FOGA {{!}} Indian Navy |url=https://indiannavy.nic.in/content/radm-ajay-d-theophilus-assumed-charge-foga |website=indiannavy.nic.in |access-date=11 August 2023}}</ref>

Theophilus headed the directorate of air warfare and flight safety (AWFS) at Naval Headquarters. On 1 August 2020, he took over as [[Commanding officer]] (CO) of the [[Naval air station]] [[INS Hansa]] in Goa.<ref>{{cite web |title=Commodore Ajay Theophilus takes over command at INS Hansa|url=https://www.aninews.in/news/national/general-news/commodore-ajay-theophilus-takes-over-command-at-ins-hansa20200801044838/ |website=aninews.in |access-date=11 August 2023}}</ref><ref name="TOI - CO Hansa">{{cite web |title=First commanding officer of Black Panthers takes charge of INS Hansa |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/first-commanding-officer-of-black-panthers-takes-charge-of-ins-hansa/articleshow/77309654.cms |website=The Times of India |access-date=11 August 2023 |date=2 August 2020}}</ref>

===Flag rank===
On 1 April 2022, Theophilus was promoted to flag rank and appointed Deputy Commandant (DepCom) of the [[Indian Naval Academy]], Ezhimala. He took over from Rear Admiral [[A. N. Pramod]].<ref name="IN website - DepCom INA">{{cite web |title=Rear Admiral Ajay D Theophilus took over the duties of Deputy Commandant,INA {{!}} Indian Navy |url=https://indiannavy.nic.in/content/rear-admiral-ajay-d-theophilus-took-over-duties-deputy-commandantina |website=indiannavy.nic.in |access-date=11 August 2023}}</ref><ref name="DepCom INA - TH">{{cite web |title=New Deputy Commandant takes over at INA |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/new-deputy-commandant-takes-over-at-ina/article65284255.ece |website=The Hindu |access-date=11 August 2023 |language=en-IN |date=2 April 2022}}</ref> After a fourteen-month long stint as DepCom of INA, he was appointed Flag Officer Naval Aviation (FONA). During this tenure, he also dual-hats as the Flag Officer Goa Area (FOGA).<ref name="IN website - FOGA" />

==Personal life==
Theophilus married to Savitha Theophilus. The couple has two children - Abhijith and Millen.<ref name="INA website bio" />

==Awards and decorations==
{| style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=IND_Samanya_Seva_medal.svg|width=106}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=IND_Special_Service_Medal_Ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=IND_Operation_Vijay_star.svg|width=106}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=IND Operation Vijay medal.svg|width=106}}
|-
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=IND Operation Parakram medal.svg|width=106}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=IND_Sainya_Seva_Medal_Ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=IND_Videsh_Seva_Medal_Ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=75yearmedal.svg|width=106}}
|-
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=IND 50th Anniversary Independence medal.svg|width=106}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=IND_30_Years_Long_Service_Ribbon.svg|width=106}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=IND 20YearsServiceMedalRibbon.svg|width=106}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=IND 9YearsServiceMedalRibbon.svg|width=106}}
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|-
|[[Samanya Seva Medal]]
|[[Special Service Medal (India)|Special Service Medal]]
|[[Operation Vijay Star]]
|[[Operation Vijay Medal]]
|-
|[[Operation Parakram Medal]]
|[[Sainya Seva Medal]]
|[[Videsh Seva Medal]]
|[[75th Independence Anniversary Medal (India)|75th Anniversary of Independence Medal]]
|-
|[[50th Independence Anniversary Medal|50th Anniversary of Independence Medal]]
|[[Indian military decorations#Long service awards|30 Years Long Service Medal]]
|[[Indian military decorations#Long service awards|20 Years Long Service Medal]]
|[[Indian military decorations#Long service awards|9 Years Long Service Medal]]
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-mil}}
{{s-bef| before = [[Vikram Menon]]}}
{{s-ttl| title = Flag Officer Commanding Goa Area & Flag Officer Naval Aviation | years = 2023 - present}}
{{s-inc}}
{{s-bef| before = [[A. N. Pramod]]}}
{{s-ttl| title = [[Commandant_of_Indian_Naval_Academy#Deputy_Commandants|Deputy Commandant]] [[Indian Naval Academy]] | years = 2022 - 2023}}
{{s-aft| after=}}
{{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Theophilus, Ajay D.}}
[[Category:Indian Navy admirals]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]
[[Category:Indian naval aviators]]
[[Category:Indian Naval Academy alumni]]
[[Category:Deputy Commandants of the Indian Naval Academy]]

Ajay D. Theophilus - Revision history

Ajay Kumar at 09:15, 12 August 2023