Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Karambir Singh pays farewell visit to ENC in Vizag

The Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), Admiral Karambir Singh, PVSM, AVSM, ADC, arrived at Vizag on Tuesday, on a two-day farewell visit to the Eastern Naval Command (ENC). He was received by Vice Adm Ajendra Bahadur Singh, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief ENC. Arriving at the Naval Command, the Admiral paid homage to the naval personnel who had made the supreme sacrifice, in the line of duty for the nation at the ‘Smaran Sthal’ Memorial. 

Admiral Karambir Singh retires from the Navy on 30 November, 2021, after over four decades of distinguished service. He is a graduate of the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington; College of Naval Warfare, Mumbai and has served as Directing Staff in both these institutions. The Admiral is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, and was commissioned into the Indian Navy in July 1980. He earned his wings as a helicopter pilot in 1981 and has extensively flown the Chetak (Alouette) and Kamov helicopters. 

In his career, spanning over 41 years, Admiral KB Singh has spent nearly 12 years at Visakhapatnam which included his formative years in flying Kamov helicopters with INAS 333, Command of Indian Coast Guard Ship Chandbibi, Guided Missile Destroyer Rana, and was also as the Chief of Staff and the CinC ENC from 31 October, 2017 to 31 May, 2019. 

Other important appointments of Admiral Karambir Singh, in the Western Seaboard, include the Commands of Missile Corvette INS Vijaydurg and Guided Missile Destroyer INS Delhi. He has also served as the Fleet Operations Officer of the Western Fleet.

On promotion to flag rank, the Admiral was appointed as the Chief of Staff, ENC in Vizag. 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). In the rank of Vice-Admiral, he has been the Director-General Project Seabird, in charge of infrastructure development of the Navy’s expansive and modern base at Karwar. At the Integrated Headquarters Ministry of Defence (Navy), the Admiral has been the Deputy Chief of Naval Staff, the Vice Chief of Naval Staff, and subsequently as the FOC-in-C ENC.

The Admiral later took over the helm of the Indian Navy as the 24th Chief of the Naval Staff. During the last two and half years as CNS, Admiral KB Singh brought about a complete operational focus to ensure ‘Combat Ready, Credible and Cohesive Navy’ across all echelons of the Navy. He led the Navy during one of the most challenging phases that the Navy has seen in several decades – the combination of the Galwan crisis and COVID-19 pandemic and ensured that the frontline naval assets remained mission deployed to meet all challenges in the maritime domain.