Admiral Karambir Singh, PVSM, AVSM, ADC (born 3 November 1959), is a former flag officer of Indian Navy, who served as the 24th Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS). The "Grey Eagle" (senior-most serving naval aviator)[3] of the Navy, he replaced Admiral Sunil Lanba as the CNS after his retirement on 31 May 2019.[4][5] Prior to his appointment, Admiral Singh served as the Vice Chief of the Naval Staff and Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command.
Karambir Singh | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2019 | |
| 24th Chief of the Naval Staff | |
| In office 31 May 2019 – 30 November 2021[1] | |
| President | Ram Nath Kovind |
| Prime Minister | Narendra Modi |
| Preceded by | Sunil Lanba |
| Succeeded by | R. Hari Kumar |
| 33rd Vice Chief of the Naval Staff | |
| In office 31 May 2016 – 30 October 2017 | |
| President | Ram Nath Kovind |
| Prime Minister | Narendra Modi |
| Preceded by | Parasurama Naidu Murugesan |
| Succeeded by | Ajit Kumar P |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 3 November 1959[2] Jalandhar, Punjab, India |
| Alma mater | National Defence Academy (BTech) Defence Services Staff College (MSc) |
| Awards | |
| Nickname | "KB" |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  India |
| Branch/service |  Indian Navy |
| Years of service | June 1980 - November 2021 |
| Rank |   Admiral |
| Commands |
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| Service number | 02151-N |
Early life and education
editBorn on 3 November 1959 in Jalandhar, Punjab, Admiral Singh is a second generation military officer.[2] He attended the Barnes School in Deolali, before joining the 56th course of the National Defence Academy, where he was in the Hunter Squadron.[6] He is an alumnus of the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington and the College of Naval Warfare, Mumbai.[7]
Career
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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.[4]
Singh has commanded the Jija Bai-class patrol vessel of the Indian Coast Guard ICGS Chand Bibi and the lead ship of her-class of corvettes INS Vijaydurg (K71) and the Rajput-class guided missile destroyer INS Rana (D52). He was in command of the Rana during the Review of the Fleet by the President of India Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam in 2005. During the review, Rana served as the flag ship of the Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet Rear Admiral Sanjeev Bhasin. He subsequently commanded the lead ship of her-class of guided missile destroyers, INS Delhi (D61).
In his staff appointments, he served as the Fleet Operations Officer of the Western Fleet and served at Naval Headquarters as the Joint Director Naval Air Staff. He also served as the 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]
Flag rank
editOn promotion to flag rank, Singh was appointed 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 Project Seabird, he stewarded the development of the Navy's new base at Karwar. He went on serve as the Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff, following which he was appointed as Vice Chief of Naval Staff.[8]
He assumed office of the Flag Officer Commanding-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 the 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]
He superannuated on 30 November 2021, and was succeeded as Chief of Naval Staff by Vice Admiral R. Hari Kumar.[1]
Bilateral visits as CNS
edit| Country | Date | Purpose | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
 Australia
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2–6 September 2019 | Bilateral discussions and pacific strategic dialogue. | [12] |
 New Zealand
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 Bangladesh
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21–24 September 2019 | Consolidate and enhance the bilateral maritime relations between India and Bangladesh, with a focus on the Bay of Bengal. | [13] |
 Sri Lanka
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19–22 December 2019 | To enhance the bilateral maritime relations in the Indian Ocean Region. | [14] |
Awards and decorations
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Singh was conferred with the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star of Japan on 29 April 2023[15] as a part of the 2023 Spring Conferment of Decorations. He was conferred the order in recognition of his contributions to strengthening the relationship between Japan and India on national defense.
References
edit- ^ a b "Vice Admiral R Hari Kumar to be the next Chief of the Naval Staff". PIB. 9 November 2021.
- ^ a b "Karambir Singh to be Next Chief of Naval Staff". The Economic Times. 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.
- ^ news18.com (23 March 2019). "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 26 January 2018.
- ^ a b Indian Navy (31 May 2016). "Vice Admiral Karambir Singh, AVSM assumes charge as Vice Chief of Naval Staff". Indian Navy. Retrieved 8 June 2016.
- ^ PIB. "390 Republic Day Gallantry and Other Defence Decorations Announced". www.pib.nic.in. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
- ^ 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". The Week. 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 1 September 2019.
- ^ "Visit of Admiral Karambir Singh Chief of the Naval Staff to Bangladesh (21 to 24 Sep 19)". pib.gov.in. Retrieved 22 September 2019.
- ^ "Visit of Admiral Karambir Singh, Chief of the Naval Staff to Sri Lanka (19 to 22 Dec 19)". pib.gov.in. Retrieved 18 December 2019.
- ^ "2023 Spring Conferment of Decorations (English)". www.in.emb-japan.go.jp. 29 April 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
