• Vice Admiral R.Hari Kumar will take charge as the next chief of the Indian Navy after the incumbent, Admiral Karambir Singh, retires on November 30.

• Vice Admiral Kumar is presently serving as the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Western Naval Command.

• Born on April 12, 1962, Vice Admiral Kumar was commissioned on January 1, 1983 into the executive branch of the Indian Navy.

• During his long and distinguished service spanning nearly 39 years, the Vice Admiral has served in a variety of command, staff and instructional appointments.

• Vice Admiral Kumar’s sea command includes INS Nishank, Missile Corvette, INS Kora and Guided Missile Destroyer INS Ranvir.

• He also commanded the Indian Navy’s aircraft carrier INS Viraat. 

• The Vice Admiral served as Fleet Operations Officer of the Western Fleet.  

• Before taking over as FOC-in-C Western Naval Command, he was chief of Integrated Staff Committee of headquarters, Integrated Defence Staff.

• He has been decorated with the Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM), the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM) and Vishisht Seva Medal (VSM). 

Indian Navy

• The foundation of the modern Indian Navy was laid in the 17th century when the East India Company had established a maritime force, thereby graduating in time to the establishment of the Royal Indian Navy in 1934. 

• The Indian Navy is the key enabler and guarantor of the country’s maritime sovereignty and myriad use-of-the-sea activities. This is discharged by the Navy through its four roles – military, diplomatic, constabulary and benign. 

• The objective of the Navy’s military role is deterrence/ dissuasion against any intervention or act which is against our national interests, and the ability to inflict a crushing defeat on the adversary in the event of hostilities. 

• A major objective of the Navy’s constabulary role is to ensure coastal and offshore security and implement anti-piracy measures in conjunction with the Coast Guard and other Central and State agencies.

• The Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) exercises operational and administrative control of the Indian Navy from the Integrated Headquarters of Ministry of Defence (Navy). He is assisted by the Vice Chief of the Naval Staff (VCNS) and three other Principal Staff Officers, namely the Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff (DCNS), the Chief of Personnel (COP) and the Chief of Material (COM).

The Navy has three Commands, each under the control of a Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief:

1) The Western Naval Command (Headquarters at Mumbai).

2) The Eastern Naval Command (Headquarters at Visakhapatnam)

3) The Southern Naval Command (Headquarters at Kochi).

The Western and the Eastern Naval Commands are ‘Operational Commands’, and exercise control over operations in the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal respectively. The Southern Command is the Training Command.

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