| INS Vajrabahu | |
|---|---|
| Mumbai, Maharashtra | |
 | |
| Type | Naval station |
| Site information | |
| Controlled by | Indian Navy |
| Condition | Operational |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1 February 1996 |
| In use | 1987-present |
| Garrison information | |
| Occupants | Western Naval Command |
INS Vajrabahu is an Indian Navy submarine base of the Western Naval Command located near Mumbai in Maharashtra. [1] It was commissioned on 1 February 1996. [2]
After the Indian Navy acquired the Vela class submarines in 1973 from the Soviet Union, the submarine base operated from temporary facilities in Mumbai. The base hosted the office of Captain Submarines (SM), 9th submarine squadron (who was initially the ex-officio Commanding Officer of the submarine depot ship, INS Amba. The facilities for the submarine base continued to expand over time. A submarine base complex (SMBC) was commissioned on 22 August 1987 as A-14 building by the then Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral R. H. Tahiliani in Mumbai for the submarine fleet of the Western Naval Command. [3]
This operations base was expanded to include submarine support facilities and commissioned as INS Vajrabahu on 1 February 1996 by Admiral Vijai Singh Shekhawat. In the ensuing years, a Submarine Motion Control Simulator, Attack Simulator and a water tower building were added to the base. [4]
The base operates and maintains a sizable part of the Submarine Arm of the Indian Navy by providing material and logistic support to the Sindhughosh-class and Shishumar-class submarines based in Mumbai. The 12th submarine squadron comprising of Sindhughosh-class was established in March 1990 and the 10th submarine squadron comprising of four Shishumar-class was established in February 1992. It also has a non-dieted sick bay and handles preparation and maintenance of individual escape suits for submarine personnel. INS Vajrabahu is the seat of the Commodore Commanding Submarines (West) (COMCOS (W)). The COMCOS is also the commanding officer of the base.
INS Rajali, is an Indian naval air station located near Arakkonam, Ranipet district, Tamil Nadu in southern India. It operates under the Southern Naval Command of the Indian Navy, and has the longest military runway in Asia.
INS Venduruthy is an Indian Navy base located on Willingdon Island in Kochi, Kerala. It serves as the Headquarters of the Southern Naval Command. It is the largest training establishment of the Indian Navy. INS Garuda is a naval air station located adjacent to INS Venduruthy. Commodore Deepak Kumar is the Commanding officer of this base. It provides administrative facilities to all training establishments inside the Southern naval command. Pincode of INS Vendurathy is 682004.
The Western Naval Command is one of the three command–level formations of the Indian Navy. It is headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra. As the senior–most of the three formations, the command is responsible for the all naval forces in the Arabian Sea and western parts of the Indian Ocean and the naval establishments on the west coast of India.
INS Garuda, is an Indian naval air station located in Kochi, in the state of Kerala. Commissioned on 11 May 1953, it is the oldest operating air station of the Indian Navy.
INS Shikra, formerly known as INS Kunjali, is an Indian naval air station located at Colaba in Mumbai, Maharashtra. It is a heliport.
The Eastern Naval Command is one of the three command-level formations of the Indian Navy. It is headquartered in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. The command is responsible for the all naval forces in the Bay of Bengal and parts of the Indian Ocean and the naval establishments on the east coast of India.
INS Utkrosh, is an Indian naval air station under the joint-services Andaman and Nicobar Command of the Indian Armed Forces. It is located near naval base INS Jarawa on Port Blair, the capital city of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
INS Dega, is a naval air station of the Indian Navy. It is located in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh on the east coast of India.
INS Parundu is an Indian naval air station located near Uchipuli in the Ramanathapuram of the state of Tamil Nadu. It operates under the Eastern Naval Command of the Indian Navy. The air station will be opened up for civilian flights under Phase 2 of the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) of the Government of India also known as UDAN and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has started preparatory work at the airstrip. It is sandwiched between Rameswaram National Highway Road and Railway track which leads towards Rameswaram.
INS Virbahu is an Indian Navy submarine base of the Eastern Naval Command located near Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.
INS Dweeprakshak is a naval base of the Southern Naval Command of the Indian Navy located on Kavaratti island in the Lakshadweep archipelago. It was commissioned on 30 April 2012.
Vice Admiral Surinder Pal Singh Cheema PVSM, AVSM, NM is a former Flag Officer in the Indian Navy. He last served as Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Western and Southern Naval Commands. He also served as the Commander-in-Chief of Strategic Forces Command and the Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to the Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee. He retired from the service on 31 January 2016, after almost four decades of service.
INS Satavahana is the premier Submarine Training Base of the Indian Navy and is located at Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. Training is carried out by the Submarine School (SMS) and the Escape Training School (ETS) and the School of Advanced Undersea Warfare (SAUW).
INS Trata is a missile battery base of the Indian Navy at Mumbai, Maharashtra tasked with the coastal defense of Maharashtra and Gujarat.
Vice Admiral Sanjay Mahindru, PVSM, AVSM, NM is a former flag officer in the Indian Navy. He last served as the Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff, from 31 Mar 2022 to 30 September 2023. Prior to this, he served as the Flag Officer Commanding Maharashtra Naval Area (FOMA), having been appointed on 17 October 2016. He earlier served as Flag Officer Submarines from 2015 to 2016.
Vice Admiral Vennam Srinivas, AVSM, NM is a serving flag officer in the Indian Navy. He currently serves as the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Southern Naval Command. He previously served as the Inspector General Nuclear Safety, Flag Officer Commanding Maharashtra Naval Area (FOMA) and as the Flag Officer Submarines (FOSM).
Commodore is a one-star rank in the Indian Navy. Commodore ranks above the rank of captain and below the two-star rank of rear admiral. This navy rank will be abbreviated as CMDE or Cmde.
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.
The Commodore Commanding Submarines (West) is an operational appointment in the Indian Navy. The COMCOS (W) is the commander of the all submarines and allied units of Western Naval Command. Based in Mumbai, Maharashtra, the COMCOS is also the Commanding Officer of the submarine base INS Vajrabahu. Currently, there are two COMCOS in the Indian Navy, COMCOS (East) and COMCOS (West). The COMCOS (W) is a one star officer holding the rank of Commodore. The current COMCOS (W) is Commodore Anurag Srivastava.
Rear Admiral Ravi Kumar Dhingra, VSM is a serving Flag officer in the Indian Navy. He currently serves as the Flag Officer Commanding Tamil Nadu & Puducherry Naval Area. A submariner, he earlier served as the Commodore Commanding Submarines (West).
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18°55′34.428″N72°50′11.5434″E / 18.92623000°N 72.836539833°E
