By Express News Service
NEW DELHI: Vice Admiral Ajendra Bahadur Singh on Monday took over as the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief (FOC-in-C), Eastern Naval Command (ENC) from Vice Admiral Atul Kumar Jain at the Naval Base on Monday.
Vice Admiral Jain is now the Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to the Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee (CISC) based out of New Delhi.
Commissioned on July 1, 1983, Vice Admiral Ajendra Bahadur Singh is an alumnus of the prestigious National Defence Academy (NDA) Khadakvasla. A Navigation and Direction Specialist, Vice Admiral Singh has held various Operational Staff and Command Appointments in his career spanning over 38 years.
The officer has excelled in all professional courses in India and abroad and received his first Masters from Madras University during the Staff Course, where he was awarded the Scudder Medal. The Flag Officer has also earned a Master’s Degree in Global Security from Cranfield University, United Kingdom.
He has commanded Indian Naval Ships Veer (Missile Vessel), Vindhyagiri (Frigate), Trishul (Guided Missile Frigate), and Viraat (Aircraft Carrier). The officer has rich operational experience of Operation Pawan in Sri Lanka and Operation Parakram on the Western Seaboard as the Fleet Navigating Officer of Western Fleet. He has also been the Chief of Staff at Western Naval Command during the period of intense Op activity in early 2019.
He has also commanded the Eastern Fleet and is familiar with the peculiarities of Eastern Seaboard, and was closely associated with the response to Super Cyclone Hudhud in 2014.
As Principal Director and ACNS (Policy & Plans) at Naval HQ, he was closely associated with the promulgation of Maritime Strategy, Transformation & Long-Term capability development plan, and Atmanirbhar shipbuilding roadmap of the Indian Navy.
The officer has a rich tri-service exposure in joint manship during the tenures as instructor at NDA and DSSC Wellington, Deputy C-in-C at Strategic Forces Command and Deputy Chief (Operations & Training) at HQ IDS (prior to assuming Command of the Eastern Naval Command).
He is an alumnus of UP Sainik School, the first Sainik School of the country established in 1960. The school is celebrating its Diamond Jubilee year.
Eastern Naval Command is one of the three operational commands of Indian Navy and its area of responsibility includes Bay of Bengal and portion of Indian Ocean.