Commodore Commanding Submarines (East)

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Commodore Commanding Submarines (East)
Commodore ensign of Indian Navy.svg
Pennant of the COMCOS (E)
(Commodore's pennant)
Incumbent
Commodore H. S. Kelkar
since 2024
Indian Navy
AbbreviationCOMCOS (E)
Reports to Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Naval Command
Seat Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh
Formation1988
First holder Captain V. S. Vishnoi, NM
(as COMSUB)

The Commodore Commanding Submarines (East) is an operational appointment in the Indian Navy. The COMCOS (E) is the commander of the all submarines and allied units of Eastern Naval Command. Based in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, the COMCOS is also the Commanding Officer of the submarine base INS Virbahu. Currently, there are two COMCOS in the Indian Navy, COMCOS (East) and COMCOS (West). The COMCOS (E) is a one star officer holding the rank of Commodore. The current COMCOS (E) is Commodore K. Venkatraman, VSM who took over on 20 February 2020.

Contents

History

The submarine arm of the Indian Navy was formed with the commissioning of INS Kalvari (S23) in December 1967. Three other submarines – Khanderi, Karanj and Kursura were acquired from the Soviet Union and the 8th Submarine squadron was formed. [1] The submarine base INS Virbahu was commissioned on 19 May 1971 as the shore support base for submarines. [2] The Commanding Officer of Virbahu functioned as the Captain of the submarine squadron and the class Authority for all submarines. [3]

In the early 1970s, four Vela-class submarines were acquired. The submarines, INS Vela (S40), INS Vagir (S41), INS Vagli (S42) and INS Vagsheer (S43) were commissioned between 1973 and 1974. With this, the 9th submarine squadron was formed and was based on the west coast, in Mumbai. In the 1980s, the Sindhughosh-class submarines - INS Sindhughosh (S55), INS Sindhudhvaj (S56), INS Sindhuraj (S57) and INS Sindhuvir (S58) were commissioned. They constituted the 11th submarine squadron. In 1986, two Shishumar-class submarines INS Shishumar (S44) and INS Shankush (S45) were inducted, forming the 10th submarine squadron. Four more Sindhughosh-class submarines were to be commissioned constituting the 12th submarine squadron. [3]

Since multiple submarine squadrons (SS) had been formed - the 8th and 11th SS in Visakhapatnam and 9th, 10th and 12th SS in Mumbai, the need to group them on each coast was felt. In April 1988, the post of Commodore Submarines East (COMSUB (E)) was created. The COMSUB (E) also commanded the submarine base INS Virbahu, apart from the submarine squadrons. [4] In December 1996, the appointment of COMSUB was re-designated Commodore Commanding Submarines (COMCOS). [5]

Organisation

Today, under the COMCOS (E) are INS Virbahu, the 11th submarine squadron and the 14th submarine squadron, the Submarine Maintenance Unit, the NRW and the SSS. The COMCOS (E) is also the commanding officer of INS Virbahu. [6]

List of COMCOS

S.No.NameAssumed officeLeft officeNotes
CO INS Virbahu & Commodore Submarines (East)
1 Commodore V. S. Vishnoi NM 1 April 1988 [n 1] 19 September 1989First COMSUB (E).
2 Captain Arun Kumar Singh NM 20 September 198910 March 1992Later served as Director General of the Indian Coast Guard, Commander-in-Chief, Andaman and Nicobar Command and Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Naval Command. [7]
3Captain V. Kumar11 March 199224 December 1993
4 Commander D. V. Pandit25 December 199311 April 1994
5Captain P. Kumar NM 12 April 199422 June 1995
6Captain Arun Kumar NM 23 June 199530 December 1996
CO INS Virbahu & Commodore Commanding Submarines (East)
7Captain A. S. Bhatyal NM 16 June 19979 December 1999
8Captain G. S. Randhawa10 December 199916 April 2001
9Captain S. Govind17 April 200129 September 2002
10Commodore S. H. Subramanian30 September 2002 [n 2] 21 February 2005 [8]
11Commodore C. P. Srivastava22 February 2005 [n 3] 30 April 2006
12Commodore Sunil Jetly1 May 200618 December 2007Later served as Naval Officer-in-charge (NOIC) Vizag. [9]
13Commodore Aspi Cawasji NM 19 December 200726 January 2009
14Commodore Rajesh Sarin NM 27 January 20092 May 2010 [10]
15Commodore S. R. Kapoor3 May 2010 [n 4] 17 July 2012Also served as the Commodore Commanding Submarines (West). [11]
16Commodore Dilbagh Singh18 July 20125 May 2013
17Commodore P. Ashokan NM 6 May 20133 July 2014Also commanded the nuclear submarine INS Chakra. [12]
18Commodore Anshuman Dutt4 July 201429 February 2016 [13]
19Commodore V. R. Peshwae VSM 1 March 201615 January 2019 [14]
20Commodore A. Y. Sardesai16 January 201919 February 2020Later Flag Officer Submarines (FOSM).
21Commodore K. Venkatraman VSM 20 February 202031 March 2023Current Flag Officer Submarines (FOSM). [15]
22Commodore Chetan Chandegave1 April 202329 October 2023 [16]
23Commodore L. M. Fernandes29 October 202314 October 2024 [17]
24Commodore H. S. Kelkar14 October 2024PresentCurrent CO INS Virbahu & COMCOS (E). [18]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Appointed as a captain, promoted to the rank of commodore on 1 July 1989.
  2. ↑ Appointed as a captain, promoted to the rank of commodore on 13 July 2004.
  3. ↑ Appointed as a captain, promoted to the rank of commodore on 14 March 2005.
  4. ↑ Appointed as a captain, promoted to the rank of commodore on 1 July 2011.

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References

  1. ↑ Singh 1991, p. 217.
  2. ↑ Shekhawat, Adm VS. "A SPECIAL PLACE IN MY HEART". Quarterdeck (2021).
  3. 1 2 Hiranandani 2005.
  4. ↑ Singh 2018.
  5. ↑ Hiranandani 2010.
  6. ↑ "Organisation of Eastern Naval Command, Visakhapatnam | Indian Navy". www.indiannavy.nic.in.
  7. ↑ "New Flag Appointments in the Navy". archive.pib.gov.in.
  8. ↑ "VizagCityOnline.com - Vizag Features". vizagcityonline.com.
  9. ↑ "Commodore Sunil Jetly appointed as NOIC". www.oneindia.com. 2008-03-03.
  10. ↑ "VizagCityOnline.com - Vizag Snapshots". www.vizagcityonline.com.
  11. ↑ "Court martial for submarine blaze". www.telegraphindia.com.
  12. ↑ "INS Chakra inducted into Navy". The Hindu. 2012-04-04.
  13. ↑ "h14". sainiksamachar.nic.in.
  14. ↑ India, The Hans (2018-03-10). "Blood donation camp held at INS Virbahu". www.thehansindia.com.
  15. ↑ "Commodore K Venkatraman, VSM Assumes Charge as Commodore Commanding Submarines (East) | Indian Navy". www.indiannavy.nic.in.
  16. ↑ "The event was inaugurated by Surg RAdm R Ravi, Command #Medical Officer, #EasternNavalCommand in the presence of RAdm AY Sardesai, Flag Officer #Submarines and Cmde Chetan Chandegave, Commodore Commanding Submarines East". X (formerly Twitter). Retrieved 19 September 2023.
  17. ↑ "Cmde LM Fernandes took over as Commodore Commanding Submarines (East) and CO #INSVirbahu from Cmde Chetan Chandegave. The ceremonial parade was conducted at INS Virbahu followed by a #wreath laying ceremony". X (formerly Twitter). Retrieved 29 October 2023.
  18. ↑ "Eastern Naval Command". x.com. Retrieved 14 October 2024.

Bibliography

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