A submariner by profession, Rear Admiral Bhokare has commanded submarines Sindhughosh, Sindhudhwaj, Sindhushastra, INS Beas and INS Vajraba...

The award comes as a great morale booster to the submarine arm which celebrates its 48th anniversary tomorrow, it added.

The plane went missing after a routine maritime surveillance sortie along coastal Tamil Nadu somewhere near the Cuddalore-Karaikal.