Flag Officer Commanding Karnataka Naval Area

Flag Officer Commanding Karnataka Naval Area (FOK) is a senior appointment in the Indian Navy. The FOK is a two star admiral holding the rank of Rear Admiral. The FOK is responsible for the operations and administration of all units and establishments in Karnataka, including the Naval Base Karwar. The Current FOK is Rear Admiral K. M. Ramakrishnan, VSM, who assumed office on 1 April 2023.

Flag Officer Commanding
Karnataka Naval Area
(FOK)
Flag of the FOK (Rear Admiral's flag)
Incumbent
Rear Admiral K. M. Ramakrishnan, VSM
since 1 April 2023
Indian Navy
AbbreviationFOK
Reports toFlag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Naval Command
SeatKarwar
First holderCommodore K. P. Ramachandran (as COMINKAR)

History

In 1999, following Pokhran-II, then Defence Minister George Fernandes approved Project Seabird to pursue the construction of the new naval base at Karwar in the state of Karnataka. The first phase of construction of the base was completed in 2005 and the base was commissioned on 31 May 2005.[1]

Headquarters Karnataka Naval Area (HQKNA) thus came into being on 31 May 2005. Commodore K. P. Ramachandran, VSM was appointed the first Commodore-in-Charge Karwar (COMINKAR). The COMINKAR also discharged the duties of Naval Officer-in-Charge Karnataka (NOIC (KTK)) and Commanding Officer INS Kadamba. After three incumbents serving as COMINKAR, the billet was upgraded to two-star rank and rechristened Flag Officer Commanding Karnataka Naval Area (FOK) in 2011. Rear Admiral Atul Kumar Jain was the first FOK who took over on 3 October 2011.[2]

Organisation

The FOK is assisted by the NOIC (KTK), a one-star appointment. The NOIC (KTK) also serves as the Chief Staff Officer at Headquarters Karnataka Naval Area (HQKNA). The FOK is responsible to the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Naval Command for the operations and administration of all units and establishments in Karnataka. This includes all ships and submarines based at the Karwar Naval Base as well.[3][4] The establishments under the FOK include:[5]

List of Commanders
S.No. Name Assumed office Left office Notes
Commodore-in-Charge Karwar (COMINKAR)
1 Commodore K. P. Ramachandran VSM 31 May 2005 26 April 2007 First COMINKAR.
2 Commodore C. G. Silar Khan VSM 27 April 2007 31 August 2009 [6]
3 Commodore Rajiv Jaswal 1 September 2009 3 October 2011 [7]
Flag Officer Commanding Karnataka Naval Area (FOK)
4 Rear Admiral Atul Kumar Jain VSM 3 October 2011 8 August 2013 First FOK. Later Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Naval Command and Chief of Integrated Defence Staff.[8][9]
5 Rear Admiral C. S. Murthy NM 10 August 2013 26 March 2015 [10]
6 Rear Admiral Satishkumar Namdeo Ghormade NM 27 March 2015 18 October 2015 Later Vice Chief of the Naval Staff.[11][12]
7 Rear Admiral Ravindra Jayant Nadkarni VSM 19 October 2015 11 October 2016 Later Flag Officer Defence Advisory Group.[13][14]
8 Rear Admiral K. J. Kumar VSM 11 October 2016 29 March 2019 Later Flag Officer Commanding Tamil Nadu & Puducherry Naval Area.[15]
9 Rear Admiral Mahesh Singh NM 30 March 2019 19 December 2021 Later Flag Officer Defence Advisory Group.[16]
10 Rear Admiral Atul Anand VSM 20 December 2021 30 March 2023 Current Additional Secretary of the Department of Military Affairs.[17]
11 Rear Admiral K. M. Ramakrishnan VSM 1 April 2023 Present Current FOK.[3]

See also

References
  1. "INS Kadamba". Indian Navy. Retrieved 8 July 2013.
  2. Doraibabu & Godbole 2023, p. 474.
  3. "Rear Admiral KM Ramakrishnan takes charge as Flag Officer of Karnataka Naval Area". deccanchronicle.com. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
  4. "Change of Command - Flag Officer Commanding Karnataka Naval Area (FOK) | Indian Navy". indiannavy.nic.in. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
  5. "WNC Authorities & Units | Indian Navy". indiannavy.nic.in. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
  6. "Key installations make the coast vulnerable". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
  7. "Phase-I work of Naval Base in full swing". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
  8. "Vice Admiral Atul Kumar Jain taking over as Chief of Staff, Eastern Naval Command". indiannavy.nic.in. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
  9. "Naval bicycle expedition". The Times of India. 19 March 2012. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
  10. "Karwar: Rear Admiral C S Murthy, former Director General, Sea Bird assumed command as the Flag Officer Commanding Karnataka Naval Area". The Times of India. 11 August 2013. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
  11. "Karnataka shows interest in 'INS Viraat' museum". BusinessLine. 21 July 2015. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
  12. "Dakshina Kannada district sent a proposal to government of Karnataka with reference to Rear Admiral SN Ghormade, NM, Flag Officer Commanding, Headquarters, Karnataka Naval Area, Karwar, for the setting up of Aircraft Carrier Museum for INS VIRAAT at Mangaluru after its deconmissioning". The Times of India. 21 July 2015. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
  13. "Visit of Dr Ashton Carter, Secretary of Defense, USA to Karwar". indiannavy.nic.in. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
  14. "Naval Base Visit - Make in India impresses US defence secy". The Times of India. 12 April 2016. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
  15. "Joint HADR Exercise commences at Naval Station Karwar". indiannavy.nic.in. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
  16. "Radm Mahesh Singh takes over as Flag Officer Commanding Karnataka Area". pib.gov.in. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
  17. "Change of Command - Flag Officer Commanding Karnataka Naval Area (FOK)". indiannavy.nic.in. Retrieved 7 September 2023.

Bibliography
  • Doraibabu, M; Godbole, Amrut (2023), A Decade of Transformation: The Indian Navy 2011-2021, Harper Collins Publishers India, ISBN 9789394407909
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