NEW DELHI, Mar 23: Vice Admiral Karambir Singh was appointed as the next Chief of Naval Staff, succeeding Admiral Sunil Lanba who retires on May 30, the Defence Ministry said today.
Vice Admiral Singh, who is at present serving as the Flag Officer Commanding in Chief (FOC-in-C) of the Eastern Naval Command in Visakhapatnam, will be the first helicopter pilot to become Chief of Naval Staff. He will take charge as Navy Chief on May 31, the Defence Ministry said.
Before taking over as FOC-in-C Eastern Naval Command in October 2017, Singh also served as Deputy Chief as well as Vice Chief of Naval Staff.
The Government made the selection following a merit-based approach and did not go with the tradition of appointing the senior most eligible officer to the post, official sources said.
Commander-in-Chief of the Andaman and Nicobar Command, Vice Admiral Vimal Verma, who is senior to Singh, was among the contenders for the top post, they said. (PTI)
Follow our WhatsApp channel
