Vice Admiral Sunil Lanba is new Western val Command chief

Mumbai, Jan 31: Vice Admiral Sunil Lanba on Sunday assumed office as the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief (FOC-in-C) of the Western val Command (WNC) here, an official statement said. Lanba is next in line to be the Indian vy chief. He took over the reins from Vice Admiral S.P.S. Cheema at a ceremonial parade held at INS Shikra. Later in the day, officers of the Western val Command accorded Vice Admiral Cheema a warm send-off, with the traditiol ‘Pulling Out’ ceremony. Vice Admiral Cheema retires on Sunday, after completing nearly four decades of service to the tion and the vy.

Vice Admiral Lanba, a specialist in vigation and direction and an alumnus of Defence Services Staff College, has very rich operatiol and staff experience over a career spanning more than three decades. He has served as the vigating officer of INS Sindhudurg (Corvette) and INS Dugiri (Frigate). During his illustrious service he commanded four frontline warships, mely INS Kakida (Minesweeper), INS Himgiri (Frigate), INS Ranvijay, and INS Mumbai (Destroyers). Vice Admiral Lanba is also an alumnus of the College of Defence Magement, Secunderabad, where he also served as the faculty member.

He has also held important staff assignments such as Fleet Operations Officer of the Western Fleet and Chief of Staff, Southern and Eastern val Commands. He has also been the Flag Officer Sea Training; Flag Officer Commanding Maharashtra and Gujarat val Area; Commandant, tiol Defence College; and Vice Chief of val Staff. He was the Commander-in-chief of the Southern val Command at Kochi prior to being appointed to head the premier operatiol Command of the Indian vy. (IANS)