Western Naval Command

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Indian navy command

title: "Western Naval Command" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["indian-navy", "commands-of-the-indian-navy", "military-units-and-formations-established-in-1968"] description: "Indian navy command" topic_path: "geography/india" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Naval_Command" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Indian navy command ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox military unit"]

FieldValue
unit_nameWestern Naval Command
imageFile:Western Naval Command (India).png
captionCrest of the Western Naval Command
countryIndia
branch
typeCommand
garrisonMumbai, Maharashtra
garrison_labelHeadquarters
battle_honours
commander1Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan, AVSM, VSM
commander1_labelFOC-in-C
commander2Vice Admiral Rahul Vilas Gokhale, YSM, NM
commander2_labelChief of Staff
commander3Rear Admiral Vivek Dahiya, NM
commander3_labelFOCWF
notable_commanders
::

| unit_name = Western Naval Command | image = File:Western Naval Command (India).png | caption = Crest of the Western Naval Command | dates = |country= India |branch= | type = Command | role = | size = | command_structure = | garrison = Mumbai, Maharashtra | garrison_label = Headquarters | nickname = | patron = | motto = | colors = | colors_label = | march = | mascot = | equipment = | equipment_label = | battles = | anniversaries = | decorations = | battle_honours = | commander1 = Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan, AVSM, VSM | commander1_label = FOC-in-C | commander2 = Vice Admiral Rahul Vilas Gokhale, YSM, NM | commander2_label = Chief of Staff | commander3 = Rear Admiral Vivek Dahiya, NM | commander3_label = FOCWF | notable_commanders = | identification_symbol = | identification_symbol_label = | identification_symbol_2 = | identification_symbol_2_label =

The Western Naval Command is one of the three command–level formations of the Indian Navy. It is headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra. As the senior–most of the three formations, the command is responsible for the all naval forces in the Arabian Sea and western parts of the Indian Ocean and the naval establishments on the west coast of India.

The Command was formed on 1 March 1968. The Command is commanded by a Three Star Flag Officer of the rank of Vice Admiral with the title Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Command (FOC-in-C). Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan is the current FOC-in-C WNC, who took over on 1 August 2025.

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. Two new appointments were created, the Rear Admiral Commanding Indian Naval Squadron (RACINS), the commander of the surface fleet of the Navy, and the Commodore-in-Charge Bombay, a one-star officer who headed the shore establishments on the western coast. To bring the service more in line with other navies, on 1 May 1952 the Rear Admiral Commanding Indian Naval Squadron was re-designated Flag Officer Commanding (Flotillas), Indian Fleet,

On 30 December 1957, the office of Flag Officer Commanding (Flotillas) was re-designated Flag Officer Commanding Indian Fleet (FOCIF), while the command of the shore establishments was upgraded to the Two Star appointment of Flag Officer Bombay (FOB) in June 1958. The FOCIF and FOB reported to the Chief of the Naval Staff. On 1 March 1968, the FOB was upgraded to the Three Star of Vice Admiral and was re-designated Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Naval Command (FOC-in-C WNC). The Indian Fleet was renamed as Western Fleet with the Flag Officer Commanding Western Fleet (FOCWF) reporting into the FOC-in-C WNC.

Area of responsibility

The Western Naval Command (WNC) is the sword arm of the Indian Navy and naval operations conducted on the western seaboard would be central to the outcome of any conflict at sea against Pakistan. The Western Fleet is the two-star level operational formation of the Western Naval Command. It utilises Mumbai and Karwar as its home ports, with INS Kunjali, its HQ in Mumbai. The fleet at the WNC is based under Flag Officer Commanding Maharashtra Naval Area (FOMA) and provides naval defence in the sensitive north Arabian Sea adjacent to Pakistan. INS Kadamba, a large naval base, was constructed under Project Seabird and completed in 2005. This naval base, at Karwar in Karnataka, is used exclusively by the Indian Navy.

Capabilities

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/INS_Vikramaditya_(R33)_with_a_Sea_Harrier.jpg" caption="R33}} at sea."] ::

The Flagship carrier of the Western Fleet is INS Vikramaditya. The WNC is equipped with submarine pens, a carrier dock and main maintenance dockyards. The Carrier Battle Group of the Western Fleet consists of INS Vikramaditya, Delhi class destroyers, Talwar class frigates, Brahmaputra class frigates, INS Kolkata, Indian navy's one of the most powerful destroyer and Sindhughosh class submarines. The Naval Aviation is provided by MiG-29K fighters along with airborne early warning Kamov Ka-31 Helicopters.

Full-fledged shipbuilding facilities on the western seaboard include the Mazagon Dock Limited in Mumbai, the Goa Shipyard Limited and the Cochin Shipyard Ltd in Kerala, which is India's largest repair dry dock.

Organization

The Western Naval Command is organized as follows: ::data[format=table]

PostCurrent HolderReferences
Flag Officer Commanding-in-ChiefVice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan, AVSM, NMtitle=VICE ADMIRAL KRISHNA SWAMINATHAN, AVSM, VSM TAKES OVER AS THE FLAG OFFICER COMMANDING-IN-CHIEF, WESTERN NAVAL COMMAND
Chief of StaffVice Admiral Rahul Vilas Gokhale, YSM, NM
Flag Officer Commanding Western Fleet (FOCWF)Rear Admiral Vivek Dahiya, NM
Flag Officer Commanding Maharashtra Naval Area (FOMA)Rear Admiral Shantanu Jha, NM
Flag Officer Goa Area (FOGA) & Flag Officer Naval Aviation (FONA)Rear Admiral Ajay D. Theophilus
Flag Officer Commanding Gujarat Naval Area (FOGNA)Rear Admiral Sritanu Guru
::

|- |Flag Officer Commanding Karnataka Naval Area (FOK) |Rear Admiral Vikram Menon, VSM | |- |Flag Officer Defence Advisory Group (FODAG) | | |- |Admiral Superintendent Dockyard (ASD) - Mumbai |Rear Admiral Deepak Kumar Goswami, AVSM | |- |Commodore Commanding Submarines (West) ||Commodore Anurag Srivastava | |}

Naval bases

Naval bases under Western Naval Command are the following ::data[format=table]

BaseCityState/TerritoryRole
INS DwarkaOkhaGujaratLogistics and Maintenance support
INS Sardar PatelPorbandarLogistics Support
INS KadambaKarwarKarnatakaLogistics and Maintenance support
INS VajrakoshNaval ammunition and missile depot
INHS PatanjaliNaval Hospital
INS GomantakVasco da gamaGoaLogistics and Maintenance support
INS HansaDabolimNaval Air Station
INHS JeevantiVasco-da-gamaNaval Hospital
INS AngreMumbaiMaharashtraLogistics and Administrative support
INS AbhimanyuMARCOS base
INHS SandhaniNaval Hospital
INS AgnibahuMissile boat squadron base
INHS AsviniNaval Hospital
INS KunjaliNaval Air Station
INS ShikraNaval Air Station
NH PowaiNaval Hospital
INS TanajiNaval ammunition depot
INS TrataCoastal Missile Defense
INS TunirNaval missile depot
INS VajrabahuSubmarine base
::

List of Commanders

::data[format=table]

S.NoNameAssumed officeLeft officeNotesReferences
Commodore-in-Charge Bombay (COMBAY)
1Commodore Henry Richmond Inigo-Jones15 August 194731 December 1950Formerly Royal Indian Navy.
2Commodore R. M. T. Taylor31 December 1950March 1954Seconded from the Royal Navy
3Commodore Ajitendu ChakravertiMarch 195416 November 1954First Indian to hold the appointment.
4Commodore Adhar Kumar Chatterji17 November 1954November 1956Later served as Chief of the Naval Staff.
5Commodore Bhaskar Sadashiv SomanNovember 195612 June 1958Later served as Chief of the Naval Staff.
Flag Officer Bombay (FOB)
1Rear Admiral Bhaskar Sadashiv Soman12 June 1958April 1960Later Chief of the Naval Staff.title=New Deputy Chief of Naval Staff
2Rear Admiral S. G. KarmarkarJune 1960June 1964
3Rear Admiral R. S. DavidJune 196415 February 1968title=Commodore Krishnan New Navy Vice Chief
4Rear Admiral Sardarilal Mathradas Nanda16 February 19681 March 1968Later Chief of the Naval Staff.
Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Naval Command (FOC-in-C WNC)
1Vice Admiral Sardarilal Mathradas Nanda1 March 196828 February 1970Later served as Chief of Naval Staff
2Vice Admiral Nilakanta Krishnan PVSM, DSC28 February 197012 February 1971
3Vice Admiral Sourendra Nath Kohli12 February 197127 February 1973Later served as Chief of Naval Staff
4Vice Admiral Jal Cursetji27 February 197328 February 1976Later served as Chief of Naval Staff
5Vice Admiral Ronald Lynsdale Pereira28 February 19765 April 1977Later served as Chief of Naval Staff
6Vice Admiral Rustom K. S. GhandhiApril 19773 March 1979
7Vice Admiral V. E. C. Barboza PVSM, AVSM*3 March 1979March 1981
8Vice Admiral Manohar Prahlad AwatiMarch 198130 March 1983
9Vice Admiral Radhakrishna Hariram Tahiliani31 March 198330 April 1984Later served as Chief of Naval Staff
10Vice Admiral Subimal Mookerjee30 April 198428 February 1986
11Vice Admiral Sukhmal Jain28 February 198631 December 1990
12Vice Admiral H. Johnson1 January 199131 August 1992
13Vice Admiral KASZ Raju31 August 199231 December 1994
14Vice Admiral Vishnu Bhagwat31 December 199430 September 1996Later served as Chief of Naval Staff.
15Vice Admiral Avnish R Tandon,24 October 199631 March 1998
16Vice Admiral Madhvendra Singh1 April 199831 March 2001Later served as Chief of Naval Staff, and as Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee
17Vice Admiral Vinod Pasricha1 April 200131 December 2002
18Vice Admiral Arun Prakash1 January 200330 September 2003Later served as Chief of Naval Staff, and as Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee
19Vice Admiral Madanjit Singh1 October 200328 February 2006url=http://zeenews.india.com/news/nation/admiral-byce-named-flag-officer-cic-of-western-naval-command_278690.html
20Vice Admiral Sangram Singh Byce1 March 200631 July 2007
21Vice Admiral Jagjit Singh Bedi1 August 200730 April 2009
22Vice Admiral Sanjeev Bhasin1 May 200930 April 2012
23Vice Admiral D. K. Joshi1 May 201231 August 2012Later served as Chief of Naval Staff. Current Lieutenant Governor of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
24Vice Admiral Shekhar Sinha PVSM, AVSM, NM*1 September 201231 May 2014Retired from the Navy after being superseded.url=http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=86874
25Vice Admiral Anil Kumar Chopra1 June 201431 March 2015
26Vice Admiral S. P. S. Cheema1 April 201531 January 2016Also headed the Strategic Forces Command and the Southern Naval Command, apart from serving as the Chief of Integrated Defence Staff.
26Vice Admiral Sunil Lanba1 February 201631 May 2016Later served as Chief of Naval Staff, and as Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee
27Vice Admiral Girish Luthra1 June 201631 January 2019
28Vice Admiral Ajit Kumar P1 February 201928 February 2021
29Vice Admiral R. Hari Kumar28 February 202129 November 2021Later served as Chief of Naval Staff
30Vice Admiral Ajendra Bahadur Singh30 November 202128 February 2023url=http://www.uniindia.com/~/enc-bids-farewell-to-vice-admiral-ajendra-bahadur-singh/States/news/2576666.html
31Vice Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi1 March 20233 January 2024Current Chief of the Naval Staff
32Vice Admiral Sanjay Jasjit Singh3 January 202431 July 2025First Naval recipient of Sarvottam Yudh Seva Medal. Awarded during Operation Sindoor.
33Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan1 August 2025PresentCurrent FOC-in-C.
::

References

References

  1. "Organisation of Western Command". Indian Navy.
  2. Luthra, Gulshan. (December 2018). "50 Glorious Years of Western Naval Command".
  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. (27 April 1952). "Change of Titles in Indian Navy".
  5. (2000). "Transition to triumph : history of the Indian Navy, 1965-1975". Lancer Publishers.
  6. (2 March 1968). "Reorganisation of Naval Commands".
  7. (13 August 2014). "Delay mars main air defence weapon deployment on INS Kolkata".
  8. "Organisation {{!}} Indian Navy".
  9. "VICE ADMIRAL KRISHNA SWAMINATHAN, AVSM, VSM TAKES OVER AS THE FLAG OFFICER COMMANDING-IN-CHIEF, WESTERN NAVAL COMMAND".
  10. "Western Naval Command".
  11. "Rear Admiral Vivek Dahiya assumes command of Navy's Western Fleet".
  12. "Maharashtra Naval Area: New Commander Takes Charge".
  13. "Rear Admiral Ajay D Theophilus assumed charge as FOGA".
  14. "Western Naval Command".
  15. (22 August 2025). "Rear Admiral Vikram Menon assumes command of Karnataka Naval Area".
  16. (31 July 2023). "Rear Admiral Deepak Kumar Goswami Takes Charge as the Admiral Superintendent, Naval Dockyard, Mumbai - India Strategic".
  17. "IN_WNC/status/1703230768796037545".
  18. "Organisation of Western Naval Command, Mumbai {{!}} Indian Navy".
  19. "INS Sardar Patel: Indian Navy's new base commissioned in Gujarat - The Economic Times".
  20. (30 December 1950). "Press Note".
  21. (3 December 1952). "Senior Naval Officers' Conference Opens - Admiral Pizey's Address".
  22. (5 December 1953). "Press Note".
  23. (15 November 1954). "Change in Bombay Naval Command".
  24. (15 October 1956). "Commodore Soman to Take Over Bombay Command".
  25. (16 August 1958). "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Navy Branch)". The Gazette of India.
  26. (14 May 1962). "New Deputy Chief of Naval Staff".
  27. (26 November 1960). "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Navy Branch)". The Gazette of India.
  28. (15 August 1964). "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Navy Branch)". The Gazette of India.
  29. (11 December 1967). "Commodore Krishnan New Navy Vice Chief".
  30. (16 February 1968). "S. M. Nanda".
  31. (2007). "Services chiefs of India". Northern Book Centre.
  32. "Upgradations in Defence Services Appointments". Press Information Bureau - Archive.
  33. (28 February 1970). "Admiral Chatterji Hands Over Charge to Admiral Nanda". Press Information Bureau - Archive.
  34. "Admiral Sourendra Nath Kohli, Padma Bhushan, PVSMAdmiral Sourendra Nath Kohli, Padma Bhushan, PVSM". Indian Navy.
  35. (14 February 1973). "Admiral Cursetji To Head Western Naval Command". Press Information Bureau - Archive.
  36. (28 February 1976). "New Senior Naval Appointments".
  37. (28 February 1976). "New Senior Naval Appointments".
  38. (5 April 1977). "Admiral Pereira Takes Over as Vice Chief of Naval Staff".
  39. (5 November 1978). "Senior Naval Officers' Conference".
  40. (9 April 1979). "Defence Snippets".
  41. (11 January 2019). "Vice Admiral M P Awati, distinguished and genial senior officer in the Indian Navy – obituary". [[The Daily Telegraph.
  42. (5 November 2018). "Iconic Vice Admiral Awati (Retd) passes away in Satara". The Pioneer.
  43. (14 March 1981). "Admiral Awati Inaugurates Naval Diving Squadron".
  44. (31 March 1983). "Admiral Tahiliani Takes Over Western Naval Command".
  45. (29 April 1984). "Vice Admiral Mookerjee Takes Over Western Naval Command".
  46. (1 March 1986). "Subimal Mookerjee Retires From Navy".
  47. (28 February 1986). "Vice Admiral Jain Takes Over Western Naval Command".
  48. "Indian Navy rocked by major succession scandal".
  49. (28 December 1990). "New Vice Chief, Flag Officer Commanders-in-Chief and Deputy Chief For Indian Navy".
  50. (31 August 1992). "Vice Admiral KASZ Raju".
  51. (31 December 1994). "Vice Admiral Vishnu Bhagwat Takes Over as FOC-in-C (West)".
  52. (28 December 1990). "Admiral Vishnu Bhagwat Takes Over as Chief of Indian Navy".
  53. Cardozo, Major General Ian. (2006-12-01). "The Sinking of INS Khukri: Survivor's Stories". Roli Books Private Limited.
  54. "Latest Releases".
  55. (1 March 2001). "Naval Appointments".
  56. "Vice Admiral Arun Prakash,PVSM,AVSM,VrC,VSM,ADC will be the new Naval Chief".
  57. (2002-12-31). "Vice Admiral Arun Prakash takes over as C-in-C of WNC". Zee News.
  58. (2006-02-28). "Admiral Byce named flag officer CIC of Western Naval Command". Zee News.
  59. (2003-09-22). "New Naval appointments".
  60. "New Flag Appointments in the Navy".
  61. "New Deputy Chief for the Navy".
  62. "Bedi takes charge of Western Naval Command". www.oneindia.com.
  63. (2009-04-29). "Sanjeev Bhasin to head the Western Naval Command {{!}} Latest News & Updates at Daily News & Analysis". dna.
  64. "D K Joshi is new chief of Western Naval Command - Times of India". The Times of India.
  65. "Vice Admiral Shekhar Sinha PVSM AVSM NM& BAR, ADC Appointed as Commander in Chief Western Naval Command to Take Over from Vice Admiral DK Joshi".
  66. "Vice Admiral Anil Chopra takes over as Western Naval Commander - Times of India". The Times of India.
  67. "VAdm SPS Cheema takes over as FOC-in-C(West) {{!}} Indian Navy".
  68. "Vice Admiral Sunil Lanba takes over from Vice Admiral SPS Cheema as the Commander-in-Chief of Southern Naval Command".
  69. "Vice Admiral Sunil Lanba Takes Over Western Naval Command".
  70. "Vice Admiral Girish Luthra takes over Western Naval Command {{!}} Indian Navy".
  71. "Vice Admiral Girish Luthra Takes Over Western Naval Command".
  72. (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)".
  73. (28 February 2021). "Vice Admiral R Hari Kumar takes charge as Western Naval Command Chief". Times Of India.
  74. (2021-11-28). "ENC bids Farewell to Vice Admiral Ajendra Bahadur Singh". United News of India.
  75. "Vice Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi Takes Over as Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command".
  76. "VICE ADMIRAL SANJAY J SINGH TAKES OVER AS FLAG OFFICER COMMANDING-IN-CHIEF, WESTERN NAVAL COMMAND".
  77. "Krishna Swaminathan to head Western Naval Command".

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