Admiral Karambir Singh on Friday assumed charge as the 24th chief of the Indian Navy, becoming the first helicopter pilot to helm the force.&nbsp;

He succeeds Admiral Sunil Lanba who retired after a distinguished career spanning over four decades.&nbsp;

Before appointed to the top post, he served as the Flag Officer Commanding in Chief (FOC-in-C) of the Eastern Naval Command in Visakhapatnam.

As Navy chief, Admiral Singh's immediate priority will be to expedite the long-delayed modernisation of the Indian Navy, including by inducting new warships, submarines and aircraft.

At present, the Navy has around 132 ships, 220 aircraft and 15 submarines.&nbsp;

Admiral Singh is also expected to focus on the expansion of India's presence and overall influence in the Indian Ocean region where China has been fast increasing its presence.

His promotion was challenged by Commander-in-Chief of the Andaman and Nicobar Command Vice Admiral Bimal Verma on grounds of seniority.&nbsp;

However, the Defence ministry <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/defence-ministry-rejects-vice-admiral-bimal-vermas-petition-challenging-appointment-of-navy-chief-219697">rejected Vice Admiral Verma's petition</a> following which he approached a military tribunal.&nbsp;

The Armed Forces Tribunal here allowed Admiral Singh to take charge as the new Navy chief, holding that his continuation will depend on the final outcome of the case. The next date of hearing in the case is July 17.

Admiral Singh is scheduled to continue in the post till November 2021.

An alumnus of the National Defence Academy in Khadakwasla, he held various key positions in the Navy in a career spanning over 39 years.

Commissioned into the Indian Navy in July 1980, he earned his wings as a helicopter pilot in 1981 and has flown extensively on the Chetak (Alouette) and Kamov helicopters.&nbsp;

He is a graduate of the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington and College of Naval Warfare, Mumbai.&nbsp;

Admiral Singh has commanded Indian Coast Guard Ship Chandbibi, Missile Corvette INS Vijaydurg, as well as two Guided Missile Destroyers, INS Rana and INS Delhi.&nbsp;

He has also served as the Fleet Operations Officer of the Western Fleet. Ashore, he has served at Naval Headquarters as the Joint Director Naval Air Staff, and as Captain Air and Officer-in-Charge of the Naval Air Station at Mumbai.&nbsp;

On promotion to flag rank, the Admiral was appointed as the Chief of Staff, Eastern Naval Command.&nbsp;

In the rank of Vice Admiral, he was also the Director General of Project Seabird, looking after infrastructure development of the Navy's modern base at Karwar.&nbsp;

His other important flag appointments include Chief of Staff of the Tri-Services Unified Command at Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Flag Officer Commanding Maharashtra and Gujarat Naval Area (FOMAG).

At the Integrated Headquarters Ministry of Defence (Navy), the Admiral had served as the Deputy Chief of Naval Staff and, subsequently, the Vice Chief of Naval Staff. He is the first helicopter pilot to become Chief of Naval Staff.&nbsp;

Admiral Lanba, who retired on Friday, was an ardent supporter of tri-services Jointmanship and was instrumental in harmonising the efforts of the three Services in a number of critical areas.

The Navy chief retires after a three-year tenure or after attaining 62 years of age, whichever is earlier.

Admiral Karambir Singh on Friday assumed charge as the 24th chief of the Indian Navy, becoming the first helicopter pilot to helm the force. He succeeds Admiral Sunil Lanba who retired after a distinguished career spanning over four decades.

Admiral Karambir Singh on Friday assumed charge as the 24th chief of the Indian Navy, becoming the first helicopter pilot to helm the force. He succeeds Admiral Sunil Lanba who retired after a distinguished career spanning over four decades. Before appointed to the top post, he served as the Flag Officer Commanding in Chief (FOC-in-C) of the Eastern Naval Command in Visakhapatnam. As Navy chief, Admiral Singh's immediate priority will be to expedite the long-delayed modernisation of the Indian Navy, including by inducting new warships, submarines and aircraft. At present, the Navy has around 132 ships, 220 aircraft and 15 submarines. Admiral Singh is also expected to focus on the expansion of India's presence and overall influence in the Indian Ocean region where China has been fast increasing its presence. His promotion was challenged by Commander-in-Chief of the Andaman and Nicobar Command Vice Admiral Bimal Verma on grounds of seniority. However, the Defence ministry rejected Vice Admiral Verma's petition following which he approached a military tribunal. The Armed Forces Tribunal here allowed Admiral Singh to take charge as the new Navy chief, holding that his continuation will depend on the final outcome of the case. The next date of hearing in the case is July 17. Admiral Singh is scheduled to continue in the post till November 2021. An alumnus of the National Defence Academy in Khadakwasla, he held various key positions in the Navy in a career spanning over 39 years. Commissioned into the Indian Navy in July 1980, he earned his wings as a helicopter pilot in 1981 and has flown extensively on the Chetak (Alouette) and Kamov helicopters. He is a graduate of the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington and College of Naval Warfare, Mumbai. Admiral Singh has commanded Indian Coast Guard Ship Chandbibi, Missile Corvette INS Vijaydurg, as well as two Guided Missile Destroyers, INS Rana and INS Delhi. He has also served as the Fleet Operations Officer of the Western Fleet. Ashore, he has served at Naval Headquarters as the Joint Director Naval Air Staff, and as Captain Air and Officer-in-Charge of the Naval Air Station at Mumbai. On promotion to flag rank, the Admiral was appointed as the Chief of Staff, Eastern Naval Command. In the rank of Vice Admiral, he was also the Director General of Project Seabird, looking after infrastructure development of the Navy's modern base at Karwar. His other important flag appointments include Chief of Staff of the Tri-Services Unified Command at Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Flag Officer Commanding Maharashtra and Gujarat Naval Area (FOMAG). At the Integrated Headquarters Ministry of Defence (Navy), the Admiral had served as the Deputy Chief of Naval Staff and, subsequently, the Vice Chief of Naval Staff. He is the first helicopter pilot to become Chief of Naval Staff. Admiral Lanba, who retired on Friday, was an ardent supporter of tri-services Jointmanship and was instrumental in harmonising the efforts of the three Services in a number of critical areas. The Navy chief retires after a three-year tenure or after attaining 62 years of age, whichever is earlier.

Admiral Karambir Singh assumes charge as new chief of Naval Staff

Admiral Sunil Lanba, Chief of the Naval Staff, on Saturday informed that India's first Indigenous Aircraft Carrier, (IAC) Vikrant, will be delivered to the Indian Navy by 2021.

The chief said, "India's first Indian Aircraft Carrier IAC Vikrant is undergoing outfitting at Kochi shipyard Ltd. Harbour acceptance trials are in progress and sea acceptance trial of this will commence in the latter half of this year."

He further said that "The Aircraft Carrier will be delivered to Navy by the year 2021."

INS Vikrant, also known as Indigenous Aircraft Carrier 1 (IAC-1), is the first aircraft carrier to be built in India for the Navy.&nbsp;

Admiral Sunil Lanba, Chief of the Naval Staff, on Saturday informed that India's first Indigenous Aircraft Carrier, (IAC) Vikrant, will be delivered to the Indian Navy by 2021.

Admiral Sunil Lanba, Chief of the Naval Staff, on Saturday informed that India's first Indigenous Aircraft Carrier, (IAC) Vikrant, will be delivered to the Indian Navy by 2021. The chief said, "India's first Indian Aircraft Carrier IAC Vikrant is undergoing outfitting at Kochi shipyard Ltd. Harbour acceptance trials are in progress and sea acceptance trial of this will commence in the latter half of this year." He further said that "The Aircraft Carrier will be delivered to Navy by the year 2021." INS Vikrant, also known as Indigenous Aircraft Carrier 1 (IAC-1), is the first aircraft carrier to be built in India for the Navy.

IAC Vikrant to be delivered by 2021: Navy Chief

The Indian Navy inducted its Deep Sea Submarine Rescue System on Wednesday. The induction was made at the naval dockyard in Mumbai by Navy chief Admiral Sunil Lanba.&nbsp;

With the induction, the Indian navy now joins a select league of nations worldwide with the capability to search for, locate, and rescue crew from a disabled submarine.&nbsp;

The Indian navy currently operates submarines of the Sindhughosh, Shishumar, and Kalvari classes, as well as nuclear-powered submarines. The nature of operations undertaken by the submarines expose them to a high degree of risk, which is why the need for the rescue system.&nbsp;

The Deep Sea Submarine Rescue Vehicle — considered to be the most advanced of its kind currently in operation worldwide — is capable of rescuing personnel from a submarine that is stranded as much as 650 metres below the surface of the sea.&nbsp;

The DSRV, which is operated by a crew of three, can rescue 14 personnel at a time and can operate in extreme sea conditions.

The DSRV can be used around the world. It will be transported from the naval base at Mumbai to the port nearest to the rescue site by air, land or sea. The vehicle will be operated by the crew of the navy's newly-formed Submarine Rescue Unit (West). 
&nbsp;

The Indian Navy inducted its Deep Sea Submarine Rescue System on Wednesday. The induction was made at the naval dockyard in Mumbai by Navy chief Admiral Sunil Lanba.

The Indian Navy inducted its Deep Sea Submarine Rescue System on Wednesday. The induction was made at the naval dockyard in Mumbai by Navy chief Admiral Sunil Lanba. With the induction, the Indian navy now joins a select league of nations worldwide with the capability to search for, locate, and rescue crew from a disabled submarine. The Indian navy currently operates submarines of the Sindhughosh, Shishumar, and Kalvari classes, as well as nuclear-powered submarines. The nature of operations undertaken by the submarines expose them to a high degree of risk, which is why the need for the rescue system. The Deep Sea Submarine Rescue Vehicle — considered to be the most advanced of its kind currently in operation worldwide — is capable of rescuing personnel from a submarine that is stranded as much as 650 metres below the surface of the sea. The DSRV, which is operated by a crew of three, can rescue 14 personnel at a time and can operate in extreme sea conditions. The DSRV can be used around the world. It will be transported from the naval base at Mumbai to the port nearest to the rescue site by air, land or sea. The vehicle will be operated by the crew of the navy's newly-formed Submarine Rescue Unit (West).

Navy can now rescue sailors from submarines stranded 650 mts below surface of sea

India and the US have a shared interest that their navies provide security which guarantees a peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific region, a US Navy chief has said.

US chief of Naval Operations Admiral John Richardson had a meeting at the Pentagon with Indian Navy chief Admiral Sunil Lanba who is on a five-day visit to America.

It was Richardson&#39;s fourth meeting with Lanba. The two had last met at the IMDEX Asia defence conference in May 2017.

&quot;We have a shared interest that our navies provide the security that underwrites a peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific region,&quot; Richardson told PTI yesterday after his meeting with Lanba.

&quot;I&#39;ve met often with Admiral Lanba and our discussions center on a naval partnership built on respect and trust,&quot; he said.

The two heads of Navy met with Secretary of Navy Richard V Spencer and discussed ways to improve interoperability to include additional naval exercises and staff talks, said a Pentagon readout of the meeting.

&quot;Naval exercises like Malabar and the Rim-of-the-Pacific are examples of our deepening cooperation and I look forward to continuing to explore opportunities that increase our interoperability,&quot; Richardson said.

He is on a five-day visit to the US during which he will hold extensive talks with the top military brass of the Trump administration to consolidate bilateral naval cooperation, including in the Indo-Pacific region.

The US has been pushing for a broader role for India in the strategically important Indo-Pacific region.

In November last year, India, the US, Australia and Japan gave shape to the long-pending Quad or quadrilateral corridor to develop a new strategy to keep the critical sea routes in the Indo-Pacific free from Chinese influence.

&quot;The relationship between the US Navy and the Indian Navy has never been stronger,&quot; said Richardson.

&quot;There has been meaningful progress made in strengthening the cooperation between our two-great democratic and maritime nations. We are exploring every way to expand that partnership even further based on our shared interests,&quot; he said.

India was accorded Major Defence Partner status by the US in 2016, bringing New Delhi on par with Washington&#39;s closest allies for defence-related trade and technology transfer.

The Indian Navy cooperates with the US Navy on several fronts which include operational interactions such as the Malabar naval exercise and exchange of white shipping information. 
Warships from both navies have also been regularly visiting each other&#39;s ports.

US chief of Naval Operations Admiral John Richardson had a meeting at the Pentagon with Indian Navy chief Admiral Sunil Lanba who is on a five-day visit to America

India and the US have a shared interest that their navies provide security which guarantees a peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific region, a US Navy chief has said. US chief of Naval Operations Admiral John Richardson had a meeting at the Pentagon with Indian Navy chief Admiral Sunil Lanba who is on a five-day visit to America. It was Richardson's fourth meeting with Lanba. The two had last met at the IMDEX Asia defence conference in May 2017. "We have a shared interest that our navies provide the security that underwrites a peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific region," Richardson told PTI yesterday after his meeting with Lanba. "I've met often with Admiral Lanba and our discussions center on a naval partnership built on respect and trust," he said. The two heads of Navy met with Secretary of Navy Richard V Spencer and discussed ways to improve interoperability to include additional naval exercises and staff talks, said a Pentagon readout of the meeting. "Naval exercises like Malabar and the Rim-of-the-Pacific are examples of our deepening cooperation and I look forward to continuing to explore opportunities that increase our interoperability," Richardson said. He is on a five-day visit to the US during which he will hold extensive talks with the top military brass of the Trump administration to consolidate bilateral naval cooperation, including in the Indo-Pacific region. The US has been pushing for a broader role for India in the strategically important Indo-Pacific region. In November last year, India, the US, Australia and Japan gave shape to the long-pending Quad or quadrilateral corridor to develop a new strategy to keep the critical sea routes in the Indo-Pacific free from Chinese influence. "The relationship between the US Navy and the Indian Navy has never been stronger," said Richardson. "There has been meaningful progress made in strengthening the cooperation between our two-great democratic and maritime nations. We are exploring every way to expand that partnership even further based on our shared interests," he said. India was accorded Major Defence Partner status by the US in 2016, bringing New Delhi on par with Washington's closest allies for defence-related trade and technology transfer. The Indian Navy cooperates with the US Navy on several fronts which include operational interactions such as the Malabar naval exercise and exchange of white shipping information. Warships from both navies have also been regularly visiting each other's ports.

Indian, US navies have 'shared interest': US Navy chief

After prolonged delays and extremes of red-tapism,&nbsp;Indian Navy launched its third Scorpene class submarine in Mumbai on Wednesday. The Scorpene submarines are seen as new-age equipment deployed to overhaul and refurbish India&#39;s submarine fleet. With the growing presence of Chinese navy in the Indian Ocean, the deployment of Scorpene submarines comes like a move of utter significance.

<ul>
	<li>The third indigenously-built diesel-electric Scorpene-class submarine, INS Karanj, was launched at the Mazagaon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDL) on Wednesday.&nbsp;</li>
	<li>INS Karanj was launched by Reena Lanba, wife of the Indian Navy chief, Admiral Sunil Lanba.</li>
	<li>Another three Scorpenes being built by MDL in collaboration with DCNS of France under a Transfer-of-Technology contract, are in the pipeline.</li>
	<li>The first of the vessels, INS Kalvari, was commissioned into the Indian Navy on December 14, 2017, while the second, INS Kandhari was launched in January of that year and is undergoing sea trials.</li>
	<li>The launch of INS Karanj marked a significant departure from the manning and training philosophy that was adopted for the first two submarines.</li>
	<li>The previous INS Karanj had served the nation for 34 years from 1969 to 2003 and had also participated in the 1971 war.</li>
	<li>The state-of-the-art technology utilised for constructing the Scorpene class submarines has ensured superior stealth features.</li>
	<li>The stealth of this potent platform is enhanced by the special attention given to various signatures. These stealth features give it an invulnerability, unmatched by most submarines.</li>
	<li>However, in a setback to the programme, the indigenous AIP will not be incorporated in vessels five and six as originally planned but retrofitted on all six boats at a later stage.</li>
	<li>The submarine is designed to operate in all theatres, with means provided to ensure interoperability with other components of Naval Task Force. It marks a generational shift in submarine operations.</li>
</ul>

The launch of INS Karanj marked a significant departure from the manning and training philosophy that was adopted for the first two submarines.

After prolonged delays and extremes of red-tapism, Indian Navy launched its third Scorpene class submarine in Mumbai on Wednesday. The Scorpene submarines are seen as new-age equipment deployed to overhaul and refurbish India's submarine fleet. With the growing presence of Chinese navy in the Indian Ocean, the deployment of Scorpene submarines comes like a move of utter significance. The third indigenously-built diesel-electric Scorpene-class submarine, INS Karanj, was launched at the Mazagaon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDL) on Wednesday. INS Karanj was launched by Reena Lanba, wife of the Indian Navy chief, Admiral Sunil Lanba. Another three Scorpenes being built by MDL in collaboration with DCNS of France under a Transfer-of-Technology contract, are in the pipeline. The first of the vessels, INS Kalvari, was commissioned into the Indian Navy on December 14, 2017, while the second, INS Kandhari was launched in January of that year and is undergoing sea trials. The launch of INS Karanj marked a significant departure from the manning and training philosophy that was adopted for the first two submarines. The previous INS Karanj had served the nation for 34 years from 1969 to 2003 and had also participated in the 1971 war. The state-of-the-art technology utilised for constructing the Scorpene class submarines has ensured superior stealth features. The stealth of this potent platform is enhanced by the special attention given to various signatures. These stealth features give it an invulnerability, unmatched by most submarines. However, in a setback to the programme, the indigenous AIP will not be incorporated in vessels five and six as originally planned but retrofitted on all six boats at a later stage. The submarine is designed to operate in all theatres, with means provided to ensure interoperability with other components of Naval Task Force. It marks a generational shift in submarine operations.

Video: 10 things to know about 'INS Karanj', third Scorpene class submarine