Flag Officer Commanding Maharashtra Naval Area

Last updated
Flag Officer Commanding
Maharashtra Naval Area
(FOMA)
Rear Admiral ensign of Indian Navy.svg
Flag of the FOMA (Rear Admiral's flag)
RAdm Manish Chadha.jpg
Incumbent
Rear Admiral Manish Chadha, VSM
since 10 November 2023
Indian Navy
AbbreviationFOMA
Reports to Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Naval Command
Seat Mumbai
First holder Rear Admiral S. W. Lakhkar, NM, VSM

Flag Officer Commanding Maharashtra Naval Area (FOMA) is a senior appointment in the Indian Navy. One of the five Area Commanders of the Indian Navy, the FOMA is a two star admiral holding the rank of Rear Admiral. The FOMA has operational control of the flotilla and forces assigned for the local naval defence of all ports in Maharashtra and the 22nd Missile Vessel Squadron. Apart from this, the FOMA is responsible for the operations and administration of all units and establishments in Maharashtra. The current FOMA is Rear Admiral Manish Chadha, who assumed office on 10 November 2023.

Contents

History

On 1 April 1985, the upgradation of the post of Naval Officer-in-Charge (NOIC) Bombay was approved. It was upgraded from the rank of Commodore to Rear Admiral and re-designated Flag Officer Bombay. The implementation of this happened in March 1987 and the appointment was designated Flag Officer Maharashtra (FOMA). [1] The FOMA would have operational control of all forces assigned for the local naval defence of all ports in Maharashtra, and would be responsible for the administration of all establishments and units in Bombay. [2]

In 1993, FOMA was operationalised and proceeded to sea in a flotilla of minor ships. The 22nd missile vessel squadron commanded by K22 was also brought under the FOMA. [2] In 2008, the Maharashtra Naval Area was expanded to include Gujarat, Daman and Diu. The Flag Officer Commanding Maharashtra and Gujarat Naval Area (FOMAG) headed the combined Naval area. [3]

After a brief period, in 2015, to enhance the operational and administrative efficiency, the Maharashtra and Gujarat Naval Area was divided to make two separate headquarters under (FOMA) and the Flag Officer Commanding Gujarat Naval Area (FOGNA). [4] The last Flag Officer Commanding Maharashtra and Gujarat Naval Area, Rear Admiral Murlidhar Sadashiv Pawar handed over command of the Maharashtra Area to Rear Admiral S. N. Ghormade. [5] [6] [7]

Organisation

The FOMA is assisted by the NOIC (Maharashtra) and the Chief Staff Officer at Headquarters Gujarat Naval Area (HQMNA), both one-star appointments. The FOMA reports to the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Naval Command. The establishments under the FOMA include: [8]

List of Commanders

S.No.NameAssumed officeLeft officeNotes
Flag Officer Commanding Maharashtra Naval Area (FOMA)
1 Rear Admiral S. W. Lakhkar NM , VSM 23 March 19879 June 1987First FOMA. Later Director General of the Indian Coast Guard.
2 Rear Admiral Vijai Singh Shekhawat AVSM , VrC 9 June 19878 August 1988Later Chief of the Naval Staff. [9]
3 Rear Admiral P. A. Debrass AVSM , NM 8 August 198817 October 1989
4 Rear Admiral Sushil Kumar UYSM , NM 17 October 198924 July 1991Later Chief of the Naval Staff. [10]
5 Rear Admiral V. K. Malhotra VSM 24 July 199125 October 1992
6 Rear Admiral Vinod Pasricha NM 25 October 199223 December 1993Later Commandant of the National Defence College and Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Naval Command. [11]
7 Rear Admiral Gupteshwar Rai AVSM , NM , VSM 23 December 199331 July 1995First Flag Officer Sea Training.
8 Rear Admiral Raman Puri AVSM , VSM 31 July 199515 October 1997Later Chief of Integrated Defence Staff. [12]
9 Rear Admiral S. C. S. Bangara AVSM 15 October 199721 October 1998Later Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Southern Naval Command. [13]
10 Rear Admiral Ajit Tewari AVSM , NM 21 October 199826 April 2000Later Chairman & Managing Director Hindustan Shipyard. [14]
11 Rear Admiral Ravi Chander Kochhar AVSM , NM , VSM 26 April 200026 February 2002 [14]
12 Rear Admiral Nirmal Kumar Verma AVSM 26 February 200228 November 2003Later Chief of the Naval Staff.
13 Rear Admiral Mahendra Pratap Taneja AVSM , NM , VSM 28 November 200323 May 2005
14 Rear Admiral I. K. Saluja AVSM , VSM 24 May 200520 March 2006 [15]
15 Rear Admiral D. K. Dewan AVSM 20 March 200617 March 2007Later Vice Chief of the Naval Staff. [16]
16 Rear Admiral A. V. Kalaskar NM , VSM 17 March 200724 January 2008 [17]
17 Rear Admiral M. P. Muralidharan NM 24 January 200830 August 2008Later Director General of the Indian Coast Guard. [18]
Flag Officer Commanding Maharashtra and Gujarat Naval Area (FOMAG)
18 Rear Admiral M. P. Muralidharan NM 1 September 20088 December 2008Later Director General of the Indian Coast Guard. [19]
19 Rear Admiral Pradeep Kumar Chatterjee NM 8 December 200831 August 2009Later Commander-in-Chief, Andaman and Nicobar Command. [20]
20 Rear Admiral Sunil Lanba 31 August 200925 January 2011Later Chief of the Naval Staff. [21]
21 Rear Admiral Bimal Verma AVSM 25 January 201131 May 2012Later Commander-in-Chief, Andaman and Nicobar Command. [22]
22 Rear Admiral Karambir Singh AVSM 31 May 201219 August 2013Later Chief of the Naval Staff. [23]
23 Rear Admiral G. Ashok Kumar VSM 19 August 20137 November 2014Later Vice Chief of the Naval Staff. [24]
24 Rear Admiral Murlidhar Sadashiv Pawar VSM 7 November 201421 October 2015Later Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff. [25]
Flag Officer Commanding Maharashtra Naval Area (FOMA)
25 Rear Admiral Satishkumar Namdeo Ghormade NM 21 October 201517 October 2016Later Vice Chief of the Naval Staff. [25]
26 Rear Admiral Sanjay Mahindru NM 17 October 201612 February 2018Later Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff. [26]
27 Rear Admiral Puneet Kumar Bahl VSM 12 February 201825 March 2019Current Commandant of Indian Naval Academy. [27]
28 Rear Admiral Rajesh Pendharkar AVSM , VSM 12 February 20188 February 2020Current Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Naval Command. [28]
29 Rear Admiral Vennam Srinivas AVSM , VSM 8 February 202022 February 2021Current Inspector General Nuclear Safety. [29]
30 Rear Admiral Atul Anand VSM 22 February 202116 December 2021Current Additional secretary, Department of Military Affairs. [30]
31 Rear Admiral Sandeep Mehta VSM 16 December 202118 November 2022 [31] [32]
32 Rear Admiral A. N. Pramod 18 November 202210 November 2023 [33]
33 Rear Admiral Manish Chadha VSM 10 November 2023PresentCurrent FOMA. [34]

See also

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References

  1. ↑ Hiranandani 2005, p. 363.
  2. 1 2 Hiranandani 2009.
  3. ↑ Doraibabu & Godbole 2023, p. 170.
  4. ↑ "Navy creates separate Gujarat naval area". business-standard.com. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  5. ↑ "Maharashtra Area - Change of Command of FOMA". indiannavy.nic.in. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  6. ↑ "Maharashtra and Gujarat Naval Areas Divided into two Separate Headquarters". Punekar News. 21 October 2015. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  7. ↑ "For organizational efficiency: Maharashtra and Gujarat naval areas divided". The Economic Times. 11 July 2018. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  8. ↑ "WNC Authorities & Units | Indian Navy". www.indiannavy.nic.in. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  9. ↑ "CHANGE OF GUARD AT NAVAL HEADQUARTERS" (PDF). archive.pib.gov.in. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  10. ↑ "NEW FORTRESS COMMANDER" (PDF). archive.pib.gov.in. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  11. ↑ "NAVAL APPOINTMENTS" (PDF). archive.pib.gov.in. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  12. ↑ "Vice Adm Raman Puri, PVSM, AVSM, VSM". www.vifindia.org. 4 January 2017. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  13. ↑ "Vice Admiral JS Bedi to head S Naval Command". Hindustan Times. 28 July 2006. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  14. 1 2 "Quarterdeck 2012" (PDF). navyfoundationmumbaicharter.in. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  15. ↑ Cardozo 2006.
  16. ↑ "English Releases". pib.gov.in. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  17. ↑ "Governor calls corporate world to employ ex-servicemen". oneindia.com. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  18. ↑ "VAdm M.P.Muralidharan, AVSM & BAR, NM (Retd.),". maritimeindia.org. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  19. ↑ "VAdm M.P.Muralidharan, AVSM & BAR, NM (Retd.),". maritimeindia.org. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  20. ↑ "Senior Most Submariner of Navy calls it a Day". indiannavy.nic.in. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  21. ↑ "Admiral Sunil Lanba , PVSM, AVSM, ADC assumes command of Indian Navy". pib.gov.in. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  22. ↑ "Vice Admiral Bimal Verma AVSM takes over as Commander-in-Chief Andaman & Nicobar Command". pib.gov.in. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  23. ↑ "Admiral Karambir Singh, PVSM, AVSM, ADC Chief of the Naval staff". pib.gov.in. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  24. ↑ "Rear Admiral Ashok Kumar is FOST". The Hindu. 19 November 2014. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  25. 1 2 "Maharashtra Area - Change of Command of FOMA". www.indiannavy.nic.in. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  26. ↑ "Rear Admiral Sanjay Mahindru takes over as Flag Officer Commanding Maharashtra Naval Area". indiannavy.nic.in. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  27. ↑ "Rear Admiral Puneet Kumar Bahl, VSM Assumes Charge as Flag Officer Commanding Maharashtra Naval Area". indiannavy.nic.in. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  28. ↑ "Rear Admiral Rajesh Pendharkar, takes over as Flag Officer Commanding Maharashtra Naval Area". pib.gov.in. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  29. ↑ "Rear Admiral V Srinivas Assumes Charge as Flag Officer Commanding Maharashtra Naval Area". indiannavy.nic.in. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  30. ↑ Singh, Ashish (25 February 2021). "Navy appoints new FOMA & FOCWF". The Daily Guardian. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  31. ↑ "Rear Admiral Sandeep Mehta Takes Over as Flag Officer Commanding Maharashtra Naval Area". pib.gov.in. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  32. ↑ "Rear Admiral Sandeep Mehta takes over as Flag Officer Commanding Maharashtra Naval Area - Articles". ZEE5. 16 December 2021. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  33. ↑ "REAR ADMIRAL AN PRAMOD ASSUMES CHARGE AS FLAG OFFICER COMMANDING MAHARASTRA NAVAL AREA (FOMA)". pib.gov.in. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  34. ↑ "Rear Admiral Manish Chadha assumes charge as Flag Officer Commanding Maharashtra Naval Area (FOMA)". indiannavy.nic.in. Retrieved 10 December 2023.

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