Vice-Admiral Sunil Lanba, billed to succeed Navy Chief Admiral Robin Dhowan, has taken over as the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief (FOC-in-C) of the city-based Southern Naval Command.
He received charge of the command, the training command of the Navy, from Vice-Admiral S.P.S. Cheema, who is now moving to Mumbai to head the Western Naval Command.
Vice-Admiral Lanba, who had earlier served at the Southern Command as its Chief of Staff, reviewed a ceremonial parade on Monday morning.
This was followed by a traditional ‘Pulling Out’ ceremony in which Vice-Admiral Cheema was ceremonially pulled out in a jeep by Flag Officers and Commanding Officers of ships and naval establishments in Kochi.
Earlier in the day, Vice-Admiral Lanba laid a wreath at the War Memorial, offering tribute to the martyrs who had laid down their lives in the line of duty.
A native of Palwal in Haryana, the Vice-Admiral was serving as Vice-Chief of the Naval Staff before his latest appointment.
Vice-Admiral Cheema, in his farewell address, commended the officers and men of the Southern Command for their all-round contribution to the force. The Southern Command, being the training command, needed to be continuously on task regardless of peace or war, he said.
Vice-Admiral Cheema will assume charge as FOC-in-C of the Western Command on Tuesday when the incumbent Vice-Admiral Anil Kumar Chopra retires from service.