Suraj Berry

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Suraj Berry

AVSM, NM, VSM
Vice Admiral Suraj Berry.jpg
AllegianceFlag of India.svg  India
Service / branchNaval Ensign of India.svg  Indian Navy
Years of serviceJanuary 1987–present
Rank IN Vice Admiral Shoulder curl.png 13-Indian Navy-VADM.svg Vice Admiral
Commands
Awards

Vice Admiral Suraj Berry, AVSM, NM, VSM is a serving Flag officer in the Indian Navy. He currently serves as the Commander-in-Chief, Strategic Forces Command. He previously served as the Chief of Personnel, as the Controller Personnel Services and as Chief of Staff of the Andaman and Nicobar Command. He has also commanded the Eastern Fleet and was the Commissioning Commanding Officer of the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya. [1]

Contents

Berry was commissioned in the Indian Navy on 1 January 1987. He is a specialist in Gunnery and Missile Warfare. [2] He served on board the Sukanya-class patrol vessel INS Subhadra (P51), the Veer-class corvette INS Pralaya (K91), and the Rajput-class destroyers INS Ranjit (D53) and INS Ranvir (D54), and the lead ship of her class of destroyers INS Delhi (D61). [3]

He has also served as the flag lieutenant to the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Naval Command, as the operations officer of a Mobile Missile Coastal Battery, and as the fleet gunnery officer of the Western Fleet. [4]

Berry has commanded the Veer-class missile vessel INS Nirbhik (K88), the Kora-class missile corvette INS Karmuk (P64) and the Talwar-class stealth guided missile frigate INS Talwar (F40). [5] He served as the defence advisor to the High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka and Maldives. In the rank of Captain, he also served as a Director at the Directorate of Staff Requirement at Naval Headquarters. [6]

Berry (right) hands over command of INS Vikramaditya to Capt. Krishna Swaminathan. Capt. S. Berry exchanging the Baton with Capt. K. Swaminathan, on his taking over the Command of INS Vikramaditya, Indian Navy's new and formidable aircraft carrier, at Karwar on November 02, 2015.jpg
Berry (right) hands over command of INS Vikramaditya to Capt. Krishna Swaminathan.

As a commodore, he served as naval advisor (NA) to the Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Nirmal Kumar Verma. He then was appointed the commissioning commanding officer of the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya (R33). As CO, he commissioned Vikramaditya on 16 November 2013 at Severodvinsk in Russia and brought her home to Karwar. He then moved to naval headquarters as the Principal Director Strategy, Concepts and Transformation at NHQ. [7]

Flag rank

In October 2016, Berry was promoted to the rank of rear admiral and appointed Assistant Chief of Personnel (Human Resource Development) (ACOP HRD) at Naval HQ. After a two-and-a-half year stint, he was appointed Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet (FOCEF) on 30 March 2019. [8] For his tenure as the FOCEF, he was awarded the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal on 26 January 2020. [9] In February 2020, he moved to Port Blair as the Chief of Staff of the Andaman and Nicobar Command. [10] [11]

On 2 August 2021, he was promoted to the rank of Vice Admiral and appointed Controller of Personnel Services (CPS) at NHQ, succeeding Vice Admiral Sanjay Jasjit Singh [7] On 1 April 2023, he was appointed Chief of Personnel. [12] [13] After a short stint as COP, he was appointed Commander-in-Chief, Strategic Forces Command (C-inC SFC) on 6 October 2023. The SFC is responsible for the management and administration of the country's tactical and strategic nuclear weapons stockpile. [14] [15]

Awards and decorations

Berry was awarded the Vishist Seva Medal in 2006 for services during the tsunami relief operations in Sri Lanka and Maldives. He is also the recipient of the Nao Sena Medal in 2015 (awarded for devotion to duty). [16] He was awarded the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in 2020. [9] He has also been awarded the Chief of Naval Staff Commendation card once and the FOC‑in‑C Western Naval Command commendation card twice.

Ati Vishisht Seva Medal ribbon.svg Nao Sena Medal ribbon.svg Vishisht Seva Medal ribbon.svg IND Samanya Seva medal.svg
IND Operation Vijay medal.svg IND Operation Parakram medal.svg IND Sainya Seva Medal Ribbon.svg IND Videsh Seva Medal Ribbon.svg
75yearmedal.svg IND 50th Anniversary Independence medal.svg IND 30 Years Long Service Ribbon.svg
IND 20YearsServiceMedalRibbon.svg IND 9YearsServiceMedalRibbon.svg
Ati Vishisht Seva Medal Nau Sena Medal Vishisht Seva Medal Samanya Seva Medal
Operation Vijay Medal Operation Parakram Medal Sainya Seva Medal Videsh Seva Medal
75th Anniversary of Independence Medal 50th Anniversary of Independence Medal 30 Years Long Service Medal
20 Years Long Service Medal 9 Years Long Service Medal

Personal life

Berry is married to Kangana Berry. The couple have two children. [7]

See also

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References

  1. "Rear Admiral Suraj Berry Assumes Charge as the Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet | Indian Navy". www.indiannavy.nic.in. Retrieved 12 November 2019.
  2. "Change of guard in Eastern Fleet". The Hindu. 31 March 2019. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 12 November 2019.
  3. "VICE ADMIRAL SURAJ BERRY ASSUMES CHARGE AS CHIEF OF PERSONNEL OF INDIAN NAVY". pib.gov.in (Press release). Retrieved 14 April 2023.
  4. Yemelyanenkov, Alexander; RIR, specially for (4 December 2013). "Commodore Suraj Berry's finest hour". www.rbth.com. Retrieved 12 November 2019.
  5. "Russia Hands India Long-Awaited Aircraft Carrier". m.naharnet.com. Retrieved 12 November 2019.
  6. "Rear Admiral Suraj Berry takes over command of Eastern Fleet at Visakhapatnam ceremony". Firstpost. Asian News International. 31 March 2019. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
  7. 1 2 3 "Controller Personnel Services (CPS) | Indian Navy". www.indiannavy.nic.in.
  8. "Rear Admiral Suraj Berry Assumes Charge as the Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet | Indian Navy". www.indiannavy.nic.in.
  9. 1 2 "Distinguished service and gallantry award winners on Republic day 2020". pib.gov.in (Press release).
  10. "Rear Admiral Sanjay Vatsayan takes over as Eastern Fleet Commander". pib.gov.in.
  11. "Press Information Bureau". www.pib.gov.in.
  12. "Controller Personnel Services (CPS) | Indian Navy". www.indiannavy.nic.in. 4 August 2021.
  13. "Vice Admiral Sanjay Jasjit Singh to be new navy vice chief". hindustantimes.com. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  14. Rajat Pandit (30 December 2002). "India all set to set up nuclear forces command". The Times of India . Archived from the original on 11 May 2013. Retrieved 27 June 2012.
  15. Rajat Pandit (6 October 2023). "Vice Admiral Suraj Berry is the new chief of the Strategic Forces Command". X (formerly Twitter). Retrieved 16 October 2023.
  16. "Suraj Berry takes over the Command of Eastern Fleet". www.thehansindia.com. Hans News Service. 30 March 2019. Retrieved 12 November 2019.
Military offices
New title
First holder
Commanding Officer, INS Vikramaditya
2013 – 2015
Succeeded by
Preceded by Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet
2019 – 2020
Succeeded by
Preceded by
Major General Beji Mathews
Chief of Staff, Andaman and Nicobar Command
2020 - 2021
Succeeded by
Rear Admiral D. S. Gujral
Preceded by Controller Personnel Services
2021 – 2023
Succeeded by
Preceded by Chief of Personnel
2023 – 2023
Preceded by Commander-in-Chief, Strategic Forces Command
2023 – Present
Incumbent