{{short description|Indian Navy admiral}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2023}} {{Use Indian English|date=March 2023}} {{Infobox military person | honorific_prefix = Vice Admiral | name = Puneet K Bahl | honorific_suffix = AVSM, VSM | native_name = | native_name_lang = | image = File:VAdm Puneet K Bahl.jpg | image_size = | alt = | caption = | birth_date = | death_date = | birth_place = | death_place = | burial_place = | burial_label = | burial_coordinates = | nickname = | birth_name = | allegiance = {{IND}} | branch = {{navy|India}} | service_years = July 1984–December 2023 | rank = 20px 20px Vice Admiral | service_number = | unit = | commands = Indian Naval Academy<br/> Project Seabird<br/>Maharashtra Area<br/>Goa Area<br/>INS Rajali<br/>{{ship|INS|Betwa|F39}}<br/>{{ship|INS|Sujata|P56}} | battles = | battles_label = | awards = 20px Ati Vishisht Seva Medal<br/>20px Vishisht Seva Medal | spouse = <!-- Add spouse if reliably sourced --> | relations = | other_work = | signature = | website = | memorials = | module = }} Vice Admiral '''Puneet Kumar Bahl''', AVSM, VSM is a former officer in the Indian Navy. He last served as the Commandant of the Indian Naval Academy.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ina.gov.in/?q=node/1406|title=COMMANDANT, VICE ADMIRAL PUNEET K BAHL, AVSM, VSM|date=2021-12-27}}</ref> He previously served as the Director General Project Seabird, Flag Officer Commanding Maharashtra Naval Area (FOMA) in Mumbai and as the Flag Officer Commanding Goa Naval Area (FOGA) and Flag Officer Naval Aviation (FONA).
==Early life and education== Bahl graduated from the National Defence Academy, Pune. He later attended the Defence Services Staff College (DSSC), Wellington where he was awarded the Lengtaine Medal, and the Naval higher command course at the College of Naval Warfare, Mumbai.<ref name="DG Seabird" />
== Naval career == Bahl was commissioned into the Indian Navy on 1 July 1984. He trained as a Naval aviator and is a maritime reconnaissance pilot, having flown six different types of aircraft. He also qualified as a ship's diver.<ref>{{cite web |author=News Desk |title=Rear Admiral Puneet Kumar Bahl, VSM is Flag Officer commanding Maharashtra Naval Area |url=https://hwnews.in/news/national-news/rear-admiral-puneet-kumar-bahl-vsm-flag-officer-commanding-maharashtra-naval-area/34070 |website=HW English |date=12 February 2018}}</ref> As a pilot, he served at the naval air stations INS Garuda and INS Rajali. He also served on the Indian Air Force station AFS Yelahanka and with the CGAS 700 squadron of the Indian Coast Guard. He also participated in flying operations in Operation Tasha and Operation Vijay.<ref name="FOGA/FONA" />
Bahl has commanded the Brahmaputra-class guided missile frigate {{INS|Betwa|F39}} and the Sukanya-class patrol vessel {{ship|INS|Sujata|P56}} and served on board the aircraft carrier {{INS|Vikrant|1961|6}}, the guided missile frigate {{ship|INS|Godavari|F20}} and INS Porbandar.<ref name="DG Seabird">{{cite web |title=Director General Project Seabird {{!}} Indian Navy |url=https://www.indiannavy.nic.in/content/director-general-project-seabird-0 |website=www.indiannavy.nic.in}}</ref> He has served as Directing staff at DSSC Wellington and subsequently as the Joint Director Naval Air Staff (Aviation Plans) at Naval headquarters.
As a Captain, he served as the Defence Attaché (DA) in Japan and Republic of Korea at the Embassy of India at Tokyo from 2007 to 2010. As the DA, he coordinated and facilitated a Joint Declaration on Security Cooperation between India and Japan.<ref name="FOMA" /> Promoted to the rank of commodore, Bahl commanded the premier strategic airbase INS Rajali. He oversaw the induction and operationalisation of the Boeing P-8I for which the base was awarded with the unit citation by the Chief of the Naval Staff (India).<ref name="DG Seabird" />
===Flag rank=== [[File:Rear Admiral Puneet K Bahl and the Commanding Officer of the visiting Omani naval ship.JPG|thumb|right|RAdm Bahl as FOGA/FONA with the CO of a visiting Royal Navy of Oman ship.]] In January 2015, Bahl was promoted to the rank of rear admiral and appointed Assistant Chief of the Integrated Defence Staff, WSOI (ACIDS WSOI) at the Integrated Defence Staff (IDS) headquarters. After a short stint as ACIDS, in October that year, he took over as the Flag Officer Commanding Goa Naval Area (FOGA) and dual-hatted as the Flag Officer Naval Aviation (FONA).<ref name="FOGA/FONA">{{cite web |agency=Press Trust of India |title=Rear Admiral Puneet Bahl is new Flag Officer Goa Area |url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/rear-admiral-puneet-bahl-is-new-flag-officer-goa-area-115100600880_1.html |website=Business Standard India |date=6 October 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=h21 |url=http://sainiksamachar.nic.in/englisharchives/2017/feb16-17/h21.htm |website=sainiksamachar.nic.in}}</ref> He served as FOGA&FONA for two-and-a-half years, after which he moved to Mumbai as the Flag Officer Commanding Maharashtra Naval Area (FOMA), succeeding Rear Admiral Sanjay Mahindru in February 2018.<ref name="FOMA">{{cite web |title=Rear Admiral Puneet Kumar Bahl, VSM Assumes Charge as Flag Officer Commanding Maharashtra Naval Area {{!}} Indian Navy |url=https://www.indiannavy.nic.in/content/rear-admiral-puneet-kumar-bahl-vsm-assumes-charge-flag-officer-commanding-maharashtra-naval |website=www.indiannavy.nic.in}}</ref><ref name="FOMA twitter">{{cite tweet|number=963072260163563525|user=indiannavy|title=Rear Admiral Puneet Kumar Bahl VSM assumes charge as Flag officer Commanding Maharashtra Naval Area (FOMA)|date=2018-02-12|language=en}}</ref>
In 2019, he was appointed Chief Staff Officer (Training) of the Southern Naval Command in Kochi.<ref name="CSO (Trg)">{{cite web |title=Airborne Tacticians for Navy and Coast Guard |url=https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1578066 |website=pib.gov.in}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=13 Navy, 3 Coast Guard officers graduate as Observers at Passing Out Parade at INS Garuda |url=https://zeenews.india.com/india/13-navy-3-coast-guard-officers-graduate-as-observers-at-passing-out-parade-at-ins-garuda-2218252.html |website=Zee News |language=en |date=10 July 2019}}</ref> He subsequently served as the Chief Instructor (Navy) at the Defence Services Staff College (DSSC), Wellington. On 1 January 2021, he was promoted to the rank of vice admiral and appointed Director General Project Seabird.
==Personal life== Bahl is married to Anjali Bahl. The couple have two sons, Dhruv and Robin.<ref name="DG Seabird" />
==Awards and decorations== In 2005, he was awarded the Chief of Naval Staff commendation card. For distinguished service, he was awarded the Vishisht Seva Medal in 2015 and the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in 2020.
{| style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;" |{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Ati Vishisht Seva Medal ribbon.svg|width=106}} |{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Vishisht_Seva_Medal_ribbon.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=75yearmedal.svg|width=106}} |- |{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=IND 50th Anniversary Independence medal.svg|width=106}} |colspan=4|{{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;" |- |Ati Vishisht Seva Medal |Vishisht Seva Medal |Special Service Medal |Operation Vijay Star |- |Operation Vijay Medal |Operation Parakram Medal |Sainya Seva Medal |75th Independence Anniversary Medal |- |50th Anniversary of Independence Medal |30 Years Long Service Medal |20 Years Long Service Medal |9 Years Long Service Medal |}
==See also== * Project Seabird
== References == {{reflist}}
{{s-start}} {{s-mil}} {{s-bef| before = Ravneet Singh}} {{s-ttl| title = Flag Officer Commanding Goa Naval Area &<br/>Flag Officer Naval Aviation | years = 2015 – 2018}} {{s-aft|after= Philipose George Pynumootil}} {{s-bef| before = Sanjay Mahindru}} {{s-ttl| title = Flag Officer Commanding Maharashtra Naval Area | years = 2018 – 2019}} {{s-aft|after= Rajesh Pendharkar}} {{s-bef|before=Ravneet Singh}} {{s-ttl|title=Director General Project Seabird|years=January 2021 – December 2021}} {{s-aft|after=Tarun Sobti}} {{s-bef|before=M. A. Hampiholi}} {{s-ttl|title=Commandant of Indian Naval Academy|years=December 2021 – 31 December 2023}} {{s-aft|after=Vineet McCarty}} {{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bahl, Puneet Kumar}} Category:Living people Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Indian Navy vice admirals Category:Indian naval aviators Category:Reconnaissance pilots Category:Recipients of the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal Category:Recipients of the Vishisht Seva Medal Category:Academic staff of the Defence Services Staff College Category:Commandants of the Indian Naval Academy Category:Defence Services Staff College alumni Category:National Defence Academy (India) alumni Category:Naval attachés for India Category:Directors General Project Seabird Category:Flag Officers Commanding Maharashtra Naval Area