INDIA. Mumbai: Rear Admiral Manish Chadha recently took over charge as the Flag Officer Commanding Maharashtra Naval Area (FOMA) from Rear Admiral AN Pramod at a ceremonial parade held at INS Kunjali in South Mumbai.
Rear Admiral Manish Chadha is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakvasla, and was commissioned into the Indian Navy on July 1, 1991. A Communication and Electronic Warfare Specialist, he has completed his Staff Course from the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, and his Higher Command Course from the National Defence University, Washington, USA.
He has commanded Coast Guard Interceptor Boat “CGS-05” and Indian Naval Ships “Veer”, “Kirpan” and “Mysore”. He has also been the Executive Officer of ”INS Talwar” and Naval Attaché, Moscow. He has held various staff and operational appointments at Naval and Command Headquarters.
On December 6, 2021, he was promoted to flag rank and given the position of flag officer heading the Gujarat Daman and Diu Naval Area. Prior to taking over as FOMA, the flag officer tenanted the appointment of Assistant Chief of Personnel (Administration and Civilian) at Naval Headquarters.
The result of any maritime conflict with Pakistan will largely depend on naval operations carried out along the western seaboard, which is home to the Western Naval Command (WNC), the Indian Navy’s sword arm. The fleet at the WNC is based under FOMA and provides naval defence in the sensitive North Arabian Sea adjacent to Pakistan.
INS Kadamba, a large naval base constructed at Karwar in Karnataka under Project Seabird, is used exclusively by the Indian Navy. The WNC’s operational formation at the two-star level is called the Western Fleet. Its home ports are Mumbai and Karwar, and its headquarters are at INS Kunjali.
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