Southern Naval Command

History

After the independence and the partition of India on 15 August 1947, the ships and personnel of the Royal Indian Navy were divided between the Dominion of India and the Dominion of Pakistan. The division of the ships was on the basis of two-thirds of the fleet to India, one third to Pakistan.

The shore establishments on the southern coast were headed by the Commodore Cochin (COMCHIN), a one star appointment. The COMCHIN directly reported into the Chief of the Naval Staff. In 1967, the Goa Area was included under COMCHIN. On 1 March 1968, the Commodore Cochin (COMCHIN) was re-designated as Commodore Commanding Southern Naval Area (COMSOUTH). In August 1970, the appointment of COMSOUTH was upgraded to the two-star rank of Rear Admiral and was re-designated Flag Officer Commanding Southern Naval Area (FOCSOUTH). This appointment was later upgraded, in October 1977, to the three star rank of Vice Admiral and re-designated Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Southern Naval Command (FOC-in-C SNC). On 1 July 1986, the Southern Naval Command was made the Training Command. All the training establishments were placed under the command as well as the responsibility of formulating and executing of training policy.

Area of responsibility

The Southern Naval Command and is commanded by the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief. The Southern Naval Command is the Training Command of Indian Navy and is responsible for the training of all its personnel, both officers as well as sailors, from basic to advance stages. It has subsidiary units from Jamnagar in Gujarat to Lonavala in Maharashtra, Goa and in Orissa but the majority of training units are in Kochi. The Indian Naval Academy is also placed under the Southern Naval Command.

Kavaratti Islands is the home to INS Dweeprakshak, the main naval base of the Southern Naval Command in the Lakshadweep islands.

Capabilities

The Southern Naval Command consists of a Flag Officer Sea Training (FOST), the 1st Training Squadron (1TS), training establishments and bases, and land forces and survey ships. It has a naval air station, and a ship repair yard.

Organisation

The Southern Naval Command is organised as follows:

Naval Bases

Naval bases under Southern Naval Command are the following

List of Commanders

References

References

1. "The Training Command".
2. "VICE ADMIRAL V SRINIVAS TAKES OVER AS THE FLAG OFFICER COMMANDING-IN-CHIEF, SOUTHERN NAVAL COMMAND, KOCHI".
3. Bhatia (1977), p. 28: "Consequent on the partition of the country on 15 August 1947, two thirds of the undivided fleet and associated assets came to India."
4. (2 March 1968). "Reorganisation of Naval Commands".
5. (8 August 1970). "Admiral Kamath to Command Southern Naval Area".
6. (26 October 1977). "New Naval Command - Southern Naval Area Upgraded".
7. (2005). "Transition to eminence : the Indian Navy 1976-1990". Published by Principal Director of Administration, Integrated Headquarters, Ministry of Defence (Navy) in association with Lancer Publishers.
8. (2005). "Transition to eminence : the Indian Navy 1976-1990". Published by Principal Director of Administration, Integrated Headquarters, Ministry of Defence (Navy) in association with Lancer Publishers.
9. "SNC Authorities & Units {{!}} Indian Navy".
10. "Organisation of Southern Naval Command, Kochi". Indian Navy.
11. "Organisation: Hierarchical Setup". Indian Navy.
12. "VICE ADMIRAL SAMEER SAXENA, AVSM, NM TAKES OVER AS THE FLAG OFFICER COMMANDING-IN-CHIEF, SOUTHERN NAVAL COMMAND".
13. (9 January 2024). "Rear Admiral Upal Kundu assumes charge as Chief of Staff at Southern Naval Command".
14. "Indian Naval Academy".
15. "Southern Naval Command".
16. (22 November 2023). "Rear Admiral Arjun Dev Nair takes charge as commandant of Naval War College in Goa".
17. "Rear Admiral Sanjay Sharma Took Over as Admiral Superintendent, Naval Ship Repair Yard (KOCHI) {{!}} Indian Navy".
18. "Southern Naval Command".
19. "Organisation of Southern Naval Command, Kochi". Indian Navy.
20. "Southern Naval command chief reviews security in Lakshadweep". The Economic Times.
21. (8 April 1948). "Death of Commodore Nott".
22. (13 July 1950). "A New Commodore For Cochin".
23. (19 November 1952). "New Commodore For Cochin Naval Base".
24. (15 October 1956). "Commodore Soman to Take Over Bombay Command".
25. (31 August 1957). "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Navy Branch)". The Gazette of India.
26. (23 November 1956). "Changes in Senior Naval Appointments".
27. (29 April 1961). "Senior Naval Officers to Meet".
28. "KERALA GOVERNOR PRAISES ARMED FORCES".
29. (10 May 1966). "Senior Naval Officers Meet".
30. (2 March 1968). "Reorganisation of Naval Commands".
31. (7 December 1971). "Rear-Admiral V. A. Kamath".
32. (2 March 1973). "Admiral Krishnan To Head Cochin Shipyard".
33. (30 September 1973). "Rear Admiral Sarma to Head Southern Naval Command".
34. (8 January 1975). "Admiral Pereira to Take Over Southern Naval Area".
35. (15 April 1976). "Admiral Barboza to Take Over Southern Naval Area".
36. (9 April 1979). "Defence Snippets".
37. (27 February 1982). "Vice Admiral OS Dawson PVSM AVSM, CNS Designate".
38. (24 February 1982). "Admiral Tahiliani Takes Over Southern Naval Command".
39. (30 March 1983). "Admiral Nayyar Takes Over Southern Naval Command".
40. (28 November 1987). "New Vice Chief of Navy, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Naval Command and Deputy Chief of Navy Announced".
41. (20 February 1989). "New Vice Chief, FOC-in-C (East) and FOC-in-C (South) for Navy".
42. (1 October 1990). "New Commander-in-Chief for Southern Naval Command".
43. (30 October 1992). "Vice Admiral Govil Retires".
44. (28 December 1990). "New Vice Chief, Flag Officer Commanders-in-Chief and Deputy Chief for Indian Navy".
45. (29 August 1992). "Vice Admiral SK Chand Takes Over Southern Naval Command".
46. (14 October 1993). "Vice Admiral Chand is New Vice Chief of Naval Staff".
47. (17 October 1993). "Vice Admiral Inderjit Bedi is New FOC-in-C, Southern Naval Command".
48. (30 April 1996). "New Commander-in-Chief Southern Naval Command".
49. (29 October 2001). "VICE ADMIRAL MADHVENDRA SINGH, VSM,AVSM,ADC TO BE NEXT CHIEF OF NAVAL STAFF".
50. (26 February 1998). "Top Naval Appointments Announced by the Government".
51. (5 March 1999). "Vice Admiral De Silva Takes Over as New DG Coast Guard".
52. . (9 October 2000). ["Naval reshuffle on cards"](https://www.tribuneindia.com/2000/20001010/nation.htm#3). *The Tribune - Chandigarh*.
53. . (10 March 2002). ["Vice-admiral Harinder Singh seeks premature retirement"](https://www.rediff.com/news/2002/mar/10navy.htm). *Rediff.com*.
54. (21 September 2003). "Appointments of Flag Ranks in the Navy".
55. (15 October 2003). "Vice Admiral Yashwant Prasad, PVSM, AVSM, VSM".
56. . (28 July 2006). ["Vice Admiral JS Bedi to head S Naval Command"](https://www.hindustantimes.com/india/vice-admiral-js-bedi-to-head-s-naval-command/story-KSEeKN6gaOltkvywm9JjEL.html). *Hindustan Times*.
57. (August 2007). "Appointment".
58. "VAdm SPS Cheema takes over as FOC-in-C(West) {{!}} Indian Navy".
59. "Vice Admiral Sunil Lanba takes over from Vice Admiral SPS Cheema as the Commander-in-Chief of Southern Naval Command".
60. "Vice Admiral Sunil Lanba Takes Over Western Naval Command".
61. "Vice Admiral Girish Luthra takes over Western Naval Command {{!}} Indian Navy".
62. "Vice Admiral Girish Luthra Takes Over Western Naval Command".
63. (2019-01-31). "VAdm P Ajit Kumar PVSM, AVSM, VSM takes over as Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command, the premier Command of #IndianNavy in an impressive ceremony at Mumbai. Returns where he has commanded two frontline Destroyers + stealth frigate & was Chief Staff Offr (Ops)".
64. (29 November 2021). "New chief for Southern Naval Command". The Hindo.
65. (5 December 2023). "Vice Admiral Dinesh Tripathi to be the new Vice Chief of Naval Staff".
66. "VICE ADMIRAL SAMEER SAXENA, AVSM, NM TAKES OVER AS THE FLAG OFFICER COMMANDING-IN-CHIEF, SOUTHERN NAVAL COMMAND".