INSVikrant was a Majestic-class aircraft carrier of the Indian Navy. The ship was laid down as HMS Hercules for the British Royal Navy during World War II, but was put on hold when the war ended. India purchased the incomplete carrier in 1957, and construction was completed in 1961. Vikrant was commissioned as the first aircraft carrier of the Indian Navy and played a key role in enforcing the naval blockade of East Pakistan during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971.
The Indian Navy (IN) is the maritime branch of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Navy. The Chief of Naval Staff, a four-star admiral, commands the navy. As a blue-water navy, it operates significantly in the Persian Gulf Region, the Horn of Africa, the Strait of Malacca, and routinely conducts anti-piracy operations and partners with other navies in the region. It also conducts routine two to three month-long deployments in the South and East China seas as well as the western Mediterranean sea simultaneously.
The Shishumar-class submarines are diesel-electric attack submarines, currently in active service with the Indian Navy. These submarines are an Indian variant of the Type 209 submarines developed by the German yard Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft under the internal designation "Type 1500". The first two vessels were built by HDW at Kiel, Germany, while the remainder were built by Mazagon Dock Limited, at Mumbai, India, under a technology transfer agreement. The submarines were commissioned between 1986 and 1994. These submarines have a displacement of 1,660 tons when surfaced, a speed of 22 knots, and a complement of 40 including eight officers.
Operation Python, a follow-up to Operation Trident, was the code name of a naval attack launched on West Pakistan's port city of Karachi by the Indian Navy during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. After the first attack during Operation Trident on the Port of Karachi, Pakistan stepped up aerial surveillance of its coast as the presence of large Indian Navy ships gave the impression that another attack was being planned. Pakistani warships attempted to outsmart the Indian Navy by mingling with merchant shipping. To counter these moves, Operation Python was launched on the night of 8/9 December 1971. A strike group consisting of one missile boat and two frigates attacked the group of ships off the coast of Karachi. While India suffered no losses, Pakistani fleet tanker PNS Dacca was damaged beyond repair, and the Kemari Oil Storage facility was lost. Two other foreign ships stationed in Karachi were also sunk during the attack.
The Nilgiri-class frigates were updated versions of the Leander class, designed and built for the Indian Navy by Mazagon Dock Limited in Mumbai. Six ships were built between 1972–81. Vessels of the class formed the 14th Frigate Squadron. The lead ship INS Nilgiri was the first major warship to be built in India and was built in collaboration with Yarrow Shipbuilders of the United Kingdom.
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.
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 Virbahu is an Indian Navy submarine base of the Eastern Naval Command located near Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.
INS Vajrabahu is an Indian Navy submarine base of the Western Naval Command located near Mumbai in Maharashtra. It was commissioned on 1 February 1996.
Vice Admiral Manohar Prahlad Awati, PVSM, VrC was a Flag Officer in the Indian Navy. He last served as the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief (FOC-in-C) Western Naval Command. During the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, he was awarded the Vir Chakra for his command of the Arnala-class anti-submarine corvette INS Kamorta (P77). The admiral was also known as the "Father of the Indian Navy's Circumnavigation Adventures".
The Western Fleet is a Naval fleet of the Indian Navy. It is known as the 'Sword Arm' of the Indian Navy. It is headquartered at Mumbai, Maharashtra on the west coast of India. It is a part of the Western Naval Command and is responsible for the naval forces in the Arabian Sea and parts of the Indian Ocean.
The Eastern Fleet is a Naval fleet of the Indian Navy. It is known as the 'Sword Arm' of the Eastern Naval Command and called the Sunrise Fleet. It is headquartered at Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh on the east coast of India. It is a part of the Eastern Naval Command and is responsible for the naval forces in the Bay of Bengal and parts of the Indian Ocean.
Vice Admiral Elenjikal Chandy Kuruvila, PVSM, AVSM was a former Flag officer in the Indian Navy. He was the Fleet commander of the Western Fleet during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, for which he was awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal. He later led the Southern Naval Area and then served as the Chairman and Managing Director of Mazagon Dock Limited.
Vice Admiral Kankipati Appala Satyanarayana Zagapathi 'KASZ' Raju, PVSM, AVSM, NM is a former Flag officer in the Indian Navy. He last served as the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Naval Command, from 1992 to 1994. A naval aviator, he was part of the Navy's first naval air squadron INAS 300 and was embarked on the Navy's first aircraft carrier INS Vikrant. During the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, he was the executive officer of the Leopard-class frigate INS Brahmaputra (1957), for which he was awarded the Nao Sena Medal. He later commanded the Western Fleet and the Southern Naval Command.
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.
Vice Admiral John Colin De Silva, PVSM, AVSM was a flag officer in the Indian Navy. He last served as the Vice Chief of the Naval Staff (VCNS) from 2001 to 2002. He also served as the 11th Director General of the Indian Coast Guard, which he led from 1999 to 2001. He was the commissioning commanding officer of the Rajput-class guided-missile destroyer INS Ranvijay (D55). After retiring from the Navy, he served as Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Overseas Employment Agency, an agency set up by the Government of Goa.
Rear Admiral Arun Auditto, AVSM, NM was a Flag Officer in the Indian Navy. He was decorated with a gallantry award during the Liberation of Goa. A pioneer submariner in the Indian Navy, he was the commissioning Commanding Officer of the Kalvari-class submarine INS Kursura (S20), which he commanded during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. He later commanded the submarine base INS Virbahu and the Whitby-class frigate INS Trishul (F143). After promotion to flag rank, he served as the Fortress Commander Andaman and Nicobar (FORTAN) and as the first Flag Officer Submarines, before retiring in 1988.
The Flag Officer Submarines (FOSM) is the single-point class authority of submarines in the Indian Navy. A two star Officer holding the rank of Rear Admiral, the FOSM is responsible for submarine safety, submarine training, maintenance and operating schedules and operational readiness inspections. The current FOSM is Rear Admiral K. Venkatraman who assumed office on 1 April 2023.
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.
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).
