Vice Adm Suthan Appointed New FOC-in-C Eastern Naval Command

New Delhi, Apr 19 (UNI) Vice Admiral Raman P Suthan will assume command of the premier Eastern Naval Command -- one of the two operational commands of the Indian Navy -- this month-end, it was announced today.

Vice Adm Suthan, who takes over on April 30 from Vice Adm AK Singh on the latter's retiring from service that day, is no stranger to the Eastern Naval Command -- he has been Flag Officer Commanding of the Eastern Fleet earlier.

Vice Adm Suthan takes over the Eastern Naval command -- one of the two sword arms of the Indian Navy -- after a two-year stint in Delhi. He assumed his present appointment as Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff on July 24 last year when 'Operation-Sukoon' (evacuation of civilians from Beirut to Larnaca) was in full swing. The prompt response by the Indian Navy won it admiration the world over.

The Eastern seaboard has gained prominence in the recent past with increasing engagements with immediate regional neighbours like Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand and other states of South East Asia.

The Eastern Fleet is currently on overseas deployment and the ships have just completed a visit to China and Japan to exercise with the ships of these Navies. All this is in consonance with India's 'Look East Policy'.

Also, the coming days would see the Indian Navy exercising with the US Fleet in the Bay of Bengal.

Vice Adm Suthan was born on August 14, 1949. He is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakvasala and was commissioned in the Indian Navy in July 1970.

He saw action early in his career as the Navigating Officer of INS Kavaratti which took active part in the Eastern Fleet operations off the erstwhile East Pakistan in 1971.

After specialisation in Navigation and Direction, he has held various staff, instructional, operational and command appointments.

The Flag Officer is a graduate of the prestigeous Defence Services Staff College, Wellington.

During his long and illustrious career, Vice Adm Suthan has commanded five ships of different sizes and capabilities. His other important assignments at sea include the appointment as Fleet Navigation Officer of the Eastern Fleet.

Ashore, his appointments include Chief Staff Officer (Training) in the Southern Naval Command during 1991-92 and Defence Advisor at the Indian High Commission in Singapore between 1993 and 1996.

The Flag Officer has been widely associated with the personnel policies of the Navy having held the appointments of the Director of Personnel, Assistant Chief of Personnel (Human Resource Development) and Controller Personnel Services at the Naval Headquarters for over four years.

He has had the unique distinction of being Chief of Staff of two Commands -- the Southern and Eastern Naval Commands -- and hence has had a wide range of administrative, training and operational experience. It was during his appointment as Chief of Staff, Eastern Naval Command that the successful and highly acclaimed post-tsunami relief operations on the Eastern seaboard were undertaken.

Vice Adm Suthan is a recipient of the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM) and Vishisht Seva Medal (VSM) for highly distinguished service.

UNI