Vice-Admiral Sanjay Jasjit Singh became the Vice-Chief of Naval Staff (VCNS) on April 2. This was the latest in a series of changes at the highest levels of the Navy. Vice-Admiral Suraj Berry became the Chief of Personnel (COP), and Vice-Admiral Atul Anand became the Director-General of Naval Operations (DGNO).
Air Marshal B.R. Krishna, Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to the Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee, and Air Marshal J. Chalapathi, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Southern Air Command based at Thiruvananthapuram, gave up their jobs when they retired on March 31. But new people haven’t been chosen for either position yet.
V. Adm. Singh took over when the previous VCNS, V. Adm. S.N. Ghormade, stepped down on March 31 because he was getting too old for the job. In 1986, the Navy gave V. Adm. Singh a job in the Executive Branch. He was the Deputy Chief of Integrated Defense Staff before he became the VCNS (Operations).
Vice-Adm. Dinesh K. Tripathi, who had been COP, became the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief (FOC-in-C) of the Mumbai-based Western Naval Command on February 28. This left the position of COP open.
On January 1, 1988, V. Adm. Anand was given a job in the Navy’s Executive Branch. He was the Flag Officer Commanding for the Maharashtra Naval Area and then for the Karnataka Naval Area. He was promoted to a three-star officer and became DGNO.
Berry became a Vice Admiral on January 1, 1987. He is an expert in gunnery and missile warfare. Before becoming COP, he was in charge of personnel services at the naval headquarters.
