First helicopter pilot Vice Admiral Singh will take over as Next Chief of Naval Staff

NEW DELHI: The government of India has appointed Vice Admiral Karambir Singh as next Chief of the Naval Staff with effect from afternoon of May 31, 2019. The present Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Sunil Lanba retires on the same day.nnVice Admiral Singh is presently Flag Officer Commander-in-Chief (FOC-in-C) Eastern Naval Command in VisakhapatnamnnBorn on November 03, 1959, Vice Admiral Karambir Singh was commissioned on July 01, 1980 into the Executive Branch of the Indian Navy.nnDuring his long and distinguished service spanning nearly 39 years, he has served in a variety of Command, Staff and Instructional appointments. Vice Admiral Singh?s Sea Command includes Guided Missile Destroyers INS Rana and INS Delhi.nnHe also served as Fleet Operations Officer of the Western Fleet and was Flag Officer Commanding Maharashtra and Gujarat area. Before taking over as FOC-in-C Eastern Naval Command in October 2017, he was Director General Project Seabird, Deputy Chief of Naval Staff and Vice Chief of the Naval Staff.nnVice Admiral Karambir Singh is a graduate of the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington. Vice Admiral Singh has been decorated with the Param VishishtSeva Medal (PVSM) and the AtiVishishtSeva Medal (AVSM).nnSingh, who belongs to Jalandhar in Punjab, graduated from Barnes School in Maharashtra before joining the NDA. A helicopter pilot, he has flown Chetaks and Kamovs and commanded four ships at various stages of his career ? ICG Chandbibi (Patrol craft of Indian Coast Guard), INS Vijaydurg (Missile ship), INS Rana (Destroyer) and INS Delhi (Destroyer