INDIAN. Mumbai: Vice Admiral Satish Namdeo Ghormade, AVSM, NM assumed charge as the Vice Chief of Naval Staff (VCNS) from Vice Admiral G Ashok Kumar, PVSM, AVSM, VSM, ADC, who retired after a service of 39 years on Saturday.
Ghormade, took the charge, at a formal ceremony held at South Block, New Delhi. He was holding the tri-service appointment of Deputy Chief (Operations & Training) at Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff before taking over the present appointment as VCNS at Integrated Headquarters, Ministry of Defence (Navy).
He is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy (NDA), Khadakwasla (Pune), the United States Naval War College, Newport, Rhode Island, and the Naval War College, Mumbai.
The Flag Officer Ghormade, commissioned in the Indian Navy on January 01, 1984, is a Navigation and Direction specialist. He has had extensive operational tenures onboard frontline warships of the Indian Navy. During his career spanning over 37 years, he has been through a myriad of operational and staff appointments.
His important operational appointments include the Commands of Guided Missile Frigate INS Brahmaputra, Submarine Rescue Vessel INS Nireekshak, and Minesweeper INS Alleppey and Second-in-Command of Guided Missile Frigate INS Ganga. INS Nireekshak was awarded the Unit Citation for the first time during his command.
His important staff appointments ashore include Assistant Chief of Personnel (Human Resources Development), Principal Director of Personnel, Director Naval Plans, and Joint Director Naval Plans at Naval Headquarters. His other assignments include Director (Military Affairs) at the Ministry of External Affairs (Disarmament & International Security Affairs), Local Workup Team (West), and Instructor at the Navigation Direction School and the National Defence Academy. He also held the coveted appointments of Flag Officer Commanding (FOC), Karnataka Naval Area, and FOC, Maharashtra Naval Area.
In the rank of Vice Admiral, Ghormade has held the challenging and coveted appointments of Director General Naval Operations, Chief of Staff Eastern Naval Command, and Controller Personnel Services. He was awarded the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal on January 26, 2017, and Nausena Medal in 2007 by the President of India, and Commendation by the Chief of the Naval Staff in 2000.
Vice Admiral G Ashok Kumar
During Vice Admiral G Ashok Kumar’s tenure, the Navy saw an increase in budget allocation with 100% utilization of allocated budget with impetus on capital acquisition. He proactively pushed for adopting the ‘AtmaNirbhar Bharat’ Mission with the Navy allocating more than 2/3rd of capital procurement from indigenous sources, 39 out of 41 ships and submarines for the Indian Navy are being constructed in Indian Shipyards.
The first-ever procurement case under the Strategic Partnership Model for Project 75(I) was successfully progressed for issuance of Request for Proposal (RFP) during his tenure. Many other instances of technological advancements, capability enhancements, and research and development projects with Defence Research and Development Organisation and Defence Public Sector Undertaking (DPSU were progressed during his tenure.
