Karambir Singh
Karambir Singh | |
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![]() Admiral Karambir Singh as Chief of the Naval Staff. | |
Nickname(s) | The Grey Eagle |
Born | [1] Jalandhar, Punjab, India | 3 November 1959
Allegiance | ![]() |
Service/ | ![]() |
Years of service | June 1980 - Present |
Rank | ![]() ![]() |
Service number | 02151-N |
Commands held | |
Awards |
Admiral Karambir Singh, PVSM, AVSM, is the 24th and current Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) of the Indian Navy. The "Grey Eagle" (senior-most serving naval aviator)[2] of the Navy, he replaced Admiral Sunil Lanba as the CNS after Admiral Lanba's retirement on May 31, 2019.[3][4] Prior to his ascension, Admiral Singh served as the Vice Chief of the Naval Staff and Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of India's Eastern Naval Command.
Early life and education
Born to an IAF officer in Jalandhar, Punjab, Admiral Singh is a second generation military officer.[1] He attended the Barnes School in Deolali, before joining the 56th course of the National Defence Academy, where he was in the Hunter Squadron.[5][6] He is an alumnus of the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington and the College of Naval Warfare, Mumbai.[7]
Career
He was commissioned into the Indian Navy in July 1980 and earned his wings as a helicopter pilot in 1982. He has extensive experience with the HAL Chetak, Kamov Ka-25 and Kamov Ka-28 helicopters.[3]
The Admiral has commanded the Coast Guard ship ICGS Chand Bibi, the corvette INS Vijaydurg, and the guided missile destroyers INS Rana and INS Delhi. He also served as the Fleet Operations Officer of the Western Fleet. Ashore, he 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. He was also a member of the Aircrew Instrument Rating and Categorisation Board (AIRCATS).[8][7]
On promotion to flag rank, the Admiral was appointed as the Chief of Staff, Eastern Naval Command. His other important flag appointments include Chief of Staff of the Tri-Services Unified Command at Andaman & Nicobar Islands and as the Flag Officer Commanding Maharashtra and Gujarat Naval Area (FOMAG).[7] As the Director General of Project Seabird, he stewarded the development of the Navy's new base at Karwar. He went on serve as the Deputy Chief of Naval Staff, following which he was appointed as Vice Chief of Naval Staff.[8]
He assumed office of the Commander-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command on 31 October 2017, succeeding Vice Admiral Harish Bisht.[7] In a career spanning close to 39 years, he has been awarded the Param Vishist Seva Medal and the Ati Vishist Seva Medal.[9]
On 23 March 2019, the Government of India named him Chief of Naval Staff, superseding Vice Admiral Bimal Verma. He is the first helicopter pilot to have served as Chief of Staff of the Indian Navy.[10][11]
Bi-lateral visits as CNS
Country | Date | Purpose | Reference |
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Australia | 02-06 September 2019 |
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[12] |
New Zealand | |||
Bangladesh | 21 to 24 September 2019 | [13] |
Honours and decorations
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References
- ^ a b "Karambir Singh to be Next Chief of Naval Staff". Retrieved 23 March 2019.
- ^ "Vice Admiral Karambir Singh, AVSM, assumed charge as Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff | Indian Navy". www.indiannavy.nic.in.
- ^ a b PIB. "Vice Admiral Karambir Singh Assumed Charge as the Deputy Chief of Naval Staff". Retrieved 23 March 2019.
- ^ "Admiral Karambir Singh Sworn In As Chief Of Naval Staff". Outlook. 31 May 2019.
- ^ @nitingokhale (22 March 2019). "KB Singh" (Tweet). Retrieved 23 March 2019 – via Twitter.
- ^ news18.com. "Vice Admiral Karambir Singh to be Next Chief of Naval Staff". Retrieved 23 March 2019.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ a b c d PIB. "Vice Admiral Karambir Singh takes over as the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, ENC". pib.nic.in. Retrieved 2018-01-26.
- ^ a b Indian Navy (May 31, 2016). "Vice Admiral Karambir Singh, AVSM assumes charge as Vice Chief of Naval Staff". Indian Navy. Retrieved June 8, 2016.
- ^ PIB. "390 Republic Day Gallantry and Other Defence Decorations Announced". www.pib.nic.in. Retrieved 2018-01-26.
- ^ Snehesh Alex Philip. "Vice Admiral Karambir Singh is new Navy Chief". Retrieved 23 March 2019.
- ^ Pradip R Sagar. "Vice Admiral Karambir Singh is new Chief of Naval Staff". Retrieved 23 March 2019.
- ^ "Visit of the Chief of the Naval Staff to Australia and New Zealand 02 to 06 September 2019". pib.gov.in. Retrieved 2019-09-01.
- ^ "Visit of Admiral Karambir Singh Chief of the Naval Staff to Bangladesh (21 to 24 Sep 19)". pib.gov.in. Retrieved 2019-09-22.
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