Commodore Commanding Submarines (East)
Pennant of the COMCOS (E)
(Commodore's pennant)
Incumbent
Commodore L. M. Fernandes
since 2020
Indian Navy
AbbreviationCOMCOS (E)
Reports toFlag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Naval Command
SeatVisakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh
Formation1988
First holderCaptain V. S. Vishnoi, NM
(as COMSUB)

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.

History

The submarine arm of the Indian Navy was formed with the commissioning of INS Kalvari (S23) in December 1967. Three other submarines – Khanderi, Karanj and Kursura were acquired from the Soviet Union and the 8th Submarine squadron was formed.[1] The submarine base INS Virbahu was commissioned on 19 May 1971 as the shore support base for submarines.[2] The Commanding Officer of Virbahu functioned as the Captain of the submarine squadron and the class Authority for all submarines.[3]

In the early 1970s, four Vela-class submarines were acquired. The submarines, INS Vela (S40), INS Vagir (S41), INS Vagli (S42) and INS Vagsheer (S43) were commissioned between 1973 and 1974. With this, the 9th submarine squadron was formed and was based on the west coast, in Mumbai. In the 1980s, the Sindhughosh-class submarines - INS Sindhughosh (S55), INS Sindhudhvaj (S56), INS Sindhuraj (S57) and INS Sindhuvir (S58) were commissioned. They constituted the 11th submarine squadron. In 1986, two Shishumar-class submarines INS Shishumar (S44) and INS Shankush (S45) were inducted, forming the 10th submarine squadron. Four more Sindhughosh-class submarines were to be commissioned constituting the 12th submarine squadron.[3]

Since multiple submarine squadrons (SS) had been formed - the 8th and 11th SS in Visakhapatnam and 9th, 10th and 12th SS in Mumbai, the need to group them on each coast was felt. In April 1988, the post of Commodore Submarines East (COMSUB (E)) was created. The COMSUB (E) also commanded the submarine base INS Virbahu, apart from the submarine squadrons.[4] In December 1996, the appointment of COMSUB was re-designated Commodore Commanding Submarines (COMCOS).[5]

Organisation

Today, under the COMCOS (E) are INS Virbahu, the 11th submarine squadron and the 14th submarine squadron, the Submarine Maintenance Unit, the NRW and the SSS. The COMCOS (E) is also the commanding officer of INS Virbahu.[6]

List of COMCOS

S.No. Name Assumed office Left office Notes
CO INS Virbahu & Commodore Submarines (East)
1 Commodore V. S. Vishnoi NM 1 April 1988[n 1] 19 September 1989 First COMSUB (E).
2 Captain Arun Kumar Singh NM 20 September 1989 10 March 1992 Later served as Director General of the Indian Coast Guard, Commander-in-Chief, Andaman and Nicobar Command and Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Naval Command.[7]
3 Captain V. Kumar 11 March 1992 24 December 1993
4 Commander D. V. Pandit 25 December 1993 11 April 1994
5 Captain P. Kumar NM 12 April 1994 22 June 1995
6 Captain Arun Kumar NM 23 June 1995 30 December 1996
CO INS Virbahu & Commodore Commanding Submarines (East)
7 Captain A. S. Bhatyal NM 16 June 1997 9 December 1999
8 Captain G. S. Randhawa 10 December 1999 16 April 2001
9 Captain S. Govind 17 April 2001 29 September 2002
10 Commodore S. H. Subramanian 30 September 2002[n 2] 21 February 2005 [8]
11 Commodore C. P. Srivastava 22 February 2005[n 3] 30 April 2006
12 Commodore Sunil Jetly 1 May 2006 18 December 2007 Later served as Naval Officer-in-charge (NOIC) Vizag.[9]
13 Commodore Aspi Cawasji NM 19 December 2007 26 January 2009
14 Commodore Rajesh Sarin NM 27 January 2009 2 May 2010 [10]
15 Commodore S. R. Kapoor 3 May 2010[n 4] 17 July 2012 Also served as the Commodore Commanding Submarines (West).[11]
16 Commodore Dilbagh Singh 18 July 2012 5 May 2013
17 Commodore P. Ashokan NM 6 May 2013 3 July 2014 Also commanded the nuclear submarine INS Chakra.[12]
18 Commodore Anshuman Dutt 4 July 2014 29 February 2016 [13]
19 Commodore V. R. Peshwae VSM 1 March 2016 15 January 2019 [14]
20 Commodore A. Y. Sardesai 16 January 2019 19 February 2020 Later Flag Officer Submarines (FOSM).
21 Commodore K. Venkatraman VSM 20 February 2020 31 March 2023 Current Flag Officer Submarines (FOSM).[15]
22 Commodore Chetan Chandegave 1 April 2023 29 October 2023 [16]
23 Commodore L. M. Fernandes 29 October 2023 Present Current CO INS Virbahu & COMCOS (E).[17]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Appointed as a captain, promoted to the rank of commodore on 1 July 1989.
  2. ↑ Appointed as a captain, promoted to the rank of commodore on 13 July 2004.
  3. ↑ Appointed as a captain, promoted to the rank of commodore on 14 March 2005.
  4. ↑ Appointed as a captain, promoted to the rank of commodore on 1 July 2011.

References

  1. ↑ Singh 1991, p. 217.
  2. ↑ Shekhawat, Adm VS. "A SPECIAL PLACE IN MY HEART". Quarterdeck (2021).
  3. 1 2 Hiranandani 2005.
  4. ↑ Singh 2018.
  5. ↑ Hiranandani 2010.
  6. ↑ "Organisation of Eastern Naval Command, Visakhapatnam | Indian Navy". www.indiannavy.nic.in.
  7. ↑ "New Flag Appointments in the Navy". archive.pib.gov.in.
  8. ↑ "VizagCityOnline.com - Vizag Features". vizagcityonline.com.
  9. ↑ "Commodore Sunil Jetly appointed as NOIC". www.oneindia.com. 2008-03-03.
  10. ↑ "VizagCityOnline.com - Vizag Snapshots". www.vizagcityonline.com.
  11. ↑ "Court martial for submarine blaze". www.telegraphindia.com.
  12. ↑ "INS Chakra inducted into Navy". The Hindu. 2012-04-04.
  13. ↑ "h14". sainiksamachar.nic.in.
  14. ↑ India, The Hans (2018-03-10). "Blood donation camp held at INS Virbahu". www.thehansindia.com.
  15. ↑ "Commodore K Venkatraman, VSM Assumes Charge as Commodore Commanding Submarines (East) | Indian Navy". www.indiannavy.nic.in.
  16. ↑ "https://twitter.com/IN_HQENC/status/1630596965154037762". X (formerly Twitter). Retrieved 19 September 2023. {{cite web}}: External link in |title= (help)
  17. ↑ "https://twitter.com/IN_HQENC/status/1718550946261708925". X (formerly Twitter). Retrieved 29 October 2023. {{cite web}}: External link in |title= (help)

Bibliography

  • Singh, Satyindra (1991), Blueprint to bluewater: The Indian Navy, 1951-65, Lancer International, ISBN 978-8170621485
  • Hiranandani, G M (2005), Transition to eminence : the Indian navy 1976-1990, Lancer Publishers, ISBN 978-8170622666
  • Hiranandani, G. M. (2010), Transition to Guardianship: The Indian Navy 1991-2000, Lancer InterConsult, Incorporated, ISBN 978-1935501268
  • Singh, Anup (2018), Blue Waters Ahoy!: The Indian Navy 2001-2010, HarperCollins Publishers India, ISBN 978-9353025526
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