Vice admiral A B Singh takes over Western Naval command

Meanwhile, Hari Kumar has taken over as the chief of naval staff following the retirement of Admiral Karanbir Singh.

Prior to taking over as the FOC-in-C of the WNC, Vice Admiral AB Singh served as the FOC-in-C of the Eastern Naval Command. He is among the very few commanders-in-chief who have the unique distinction of heading both operational commands of the Indian Navy.

He also placed a floral wreath at the Gaurav Stambh – Victory at Sea Memorial, at Naval Dockyard, Mumbai.

Commissioned into the Navy on July 1, 1983, Vice Admiral AB Singh is a specialist in navigation and direction. An alumnus of UP Sainik School, Lucknow and the National Defence Academy, Khadakvasla, he received his first Master’s degree from the Madras University during the Staff Course at the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington wherein he was also awarded the Scudder Medal. He also earned a Master’s degree in Global Security from Cranfield University in the United Kingdom in 2005.

A recipient of the Ati Vishist Seva Medal and Vishist Seva Medal, he has held several key operational, staff and training appointments in his naval career. He was the navigating officer of INS Kamorta (during Op Pawan) and destroyer INS Ranjit, besides being the fleet navigating officer of the Western Fleet during Op Parakram. He has immense experience of serving at the WNC in several appointments. All four of his operational commands have been of ships based in Mumbai – Indian Naval Ships Veer (missile vessel), Vindhyagiri (frigate), Trishul (guided missile frigate) and Viraat (aircraft carrier). He has also been an instructor at the National Defence Academy in Pune and the Navigation and Direction School in Kochi, and a directing staff at the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington.

He was promoted to the rank of rear admiral in 2012 and served in the important staff appointment of assistant chief of naval staff (policy and plans) at the Naval headquarters. Thereafter, he commanded the prestigious Eastern Fleet. Upon promotion to the vice admiral rank in 2015, he served as the deputy commander-in-chief of the Strategic Forces Command, the chief of staff of the WNC in Mumbai and later as the deputy chief of Integrated Defence Staff (Operations and Training) at the Integrated Defence Staff, New Delhi.