Flag Officer Commanding Karnataka Naval Area
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| Flag Officer Commanding Karnataka Naval Area (FOK) | |
|---|---|
 Flag of the FOK (Rear Admiral's flag) | |
| Indian Navy | |
| Abbreviation | FOK |
| Reports to | Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Naval Command |
| Seat | Karwar |
| First holder | Commodore K. P. Ramachandran (as COMINKAR) |
Flag Officer Commanding Karnataka Naval Area (FOK) is a senior appointment in the Indian Navy. One of the five Area Commanders of 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 Vikram Menon, VSM, who assumed office on 21 August 2025.
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]
- The Naval Base Karwar INS Kadamba
- The naval hospital INHS Patanjali
- The missile and ammunition base INS Vajrakosh
- Naval Ship Repair Yard (NSRY) Karwar
- Sagar Prahari Bal, Karwar
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 | 20 August 2025 | [3] |
| 12 | Rear Admiral Vikram Menon VSM | 21 August 2025 | Present | Current FOK.[18] |
