Fortress Commander, Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Fortress Commander,
Andaman and Nicobar Islands (FORTAN)
AbbreviationFORTAN
Reports toFlag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Naval Command
SeatPort Blair, Andaman and Nicobar Islands
PrecursorCommodore, Andaman & Nicobar (COMAN)
Formation1977
First holderCommodore HML Saxena
Final holderVice Admiral OP Bansal
Abolished2001
Superseded byCommander-in-Chief, Andaman and Nicobar Command

The Fortress Commander, Andaman and Nicobar Islands (FORTAN) was a senior appointment of the Indian Navy. As the head of the Fortress, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, FORTAN was based at Port Blair in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, a Union Territory of India. The Fortress and the appointment were disbanded in 2001 after the Andaman and Nicobar Command was operationalised as the first Integrated Theatre Command of India.

The first FORTAN was Commodore HML Saxena, who took over in 1977 and the last was Vice Admiral OP Bansal who relinquished charge as FORTAN on 27 September 2001.

History

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands became a Union territory of India in 1956. The first military unit on the islands was the naval base INS Jarawa, which was commissioned in 1964.[1] The base was commanded by a Resident Naval Officer (RNO). After establishing subsequent garrisons in the islands, the post was upgraded to Naval Officer-in-Charge Andaman & Nicobar (NOIC A&N).[2] The naval establishments were under the command of the Eastern Naval Command during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. In October 1976, the operational control of all forces in the islands was given, and the post was upgraded to Commodore, Andaman & Nicobar (COMAN). In 1977, all establishments came under the newly created Fortress Andaman & Nicobar to signify jointness. The appointment was re-designated to Fortress Commander, Andaman and Nicobar Islands (FORTAN). Commodore HML Saxena, the COMAN, took over as the first FORTAN.[3]

In March 1981, FORTAN was upgraded to a Two star appointment tenanted by a Rear Admiral.[4] In 1987, the post was further upgraded to a three star appointment.[5] In 1998, a 'Far East Naval Command' (FENC) was proposed, to be commanded by a Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Far East Naval Command. However, this proposal was changed in the aftermath of the Kargil War. The Kargil Review Committee recommended the establishment of a tri-service command replacing the FORTAN by a Commander-in-Chief Andaman & Nicobar to control the assets of the three Services and the Indian Coast Guard. [6]

The recommendation was implemented with the Andaman and Nicobar Command being operationalised in October 2001 and Vice Admiral Arun Prakash taking over as the First Commander-in-Chief, Andaman and Nicobar Command (CINCAN).[7]

List of Commanders

The following is a list of Commanders-in-Chief of the A&N command.[8]

S.No. Name Assumed office Left office Notes
1 Commodore HML Saxena NM 1977 1980 [9]
2 Rear Admiral RP Sawhney AVSM 27 June 1980 [n 1] 30 June 1982 Later Commandant of the National Defence Academy and Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Southern Naval Command.[10][11]
3 Rear Admiral Arindam Ghosh VSM 1 July 1982 15 May 1983
4 Rear Admiral RR Sood VrC, NM 15 May 1983 29 April 1986 [12]
5 Rear Admiral Arun Auditto AVSM, NM 30 April 1986 30 March 1987 First Flag Officer Submarines.
6 Vice Admiral SP Govil AVSM 30 March 1987 1 September 1988 Later Commandant of the National Defence College, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Southern Naval Command and Vice Chief of the Naval Staff.[13][14]
7 Vice Admiral SW Lakhkar NM, VSM 5 October 1988 28 June 1990 Later Director General of the Indian Coast Guard.[15]
8 Vice Admiral JMS Sodhi VSM 13 July 1990 23 September 1990
9 Vice Admiral Inderjit Bedi AVSM 24 September 1990 26 August 1991 Later Commandant of the National Defence Academy.[16]
10 Vice Admiral SK Chand AVSM 16 August 1991 29 August 1992 Later Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Southern Naval Command and Vice Chief of the Naval Staff.[17][18]
11 Vice Admiral PS Das UYSM, VSM 29 August 1992 13 May 1994 Later Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Naval Command.[19]
12 Vice Admiral Sushil Kumar UYSM, AVSM, NM 13 May 1994 30 November 1995 Later Chief of the Naval Staff.[20]
13 Vice Admiral R. N. Ganesh AVSM, NM 30 November 1995 11 November 1996 Later Director General Indian Coast Guard and Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Southern Naval Command.[21]
14 Vice Admiral Harinder Singh AVSM 12 November 1996 12 March 1999 Later Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Southern Naval Command.[22][23]
15 Vice Admiral Raman Puri AVSM, VSM 13 March 1999 20 November 2000 Later Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Southern Naval Command and Chief of Integrated Defence Staff.[24]
16 Vice Admiral OP Bansal AVSM, VSM 13 March 1999 20 November 2000 Later Director General of the Indian Coast Guard, Commander-in-Chief, Andaman and Nicobar Command and Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Naval Command.[25]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Post upgraded to Rear Admiral in March 1981.

References

  1. ^ Vice Admiral Gulab Mohanlal Hiranandani. "Chapter 20 - Maintenance, Repair And Refit Facilities". Transition to Triumph. Indian Navy. Retrieved 2012-01-09.
  2. ^ Singh 2018, p. 299.
  3. ^ Hiranandani 2010.
  4. ^ "h5". www.sainiksamachar.nic.in. Archived from the original on 2012-09-10. Retrieved 2025-08-27.
  5. ^ Hiranandani 2005.
  6. ^ Singh 2018, p. 300.
  7. ^ "ANDAMAN AND NICOBAR COMMAND BEING OPERATIONALISED" (PDF).
  8. ^ Mukherjee & Mohan 2015.
  9. ^ "National Staff College for Educational Planners and Adnninistrators" (PDF). hindi,niepa.ac.in. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  10. ^ "Commodore Sawhney takes over as Fortress Commander" (PDF). archive.pib.gov.in. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  11. ^ "Admiral Sawhney appointed Commandant NDA" (PDF). archive.pib.gov.in. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  12. ^ "First Naval Air Station in Andamans" (PDF). archive.pib.gov.in. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  13. ^ "New Fortress Commander for Andamans" (PDF). archive.pib.gov.in. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  14. ^ "Vice Admiral Govil appointed Commandant, NDC" (PDF). archive.pib.gov.in. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  15. ^ "New Fortress Commander for Andaman & Nicobar Islands" (PDF). archive.pib.gov.in. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  16. ^ "New Fortress Commander for Andaman and Nicobar" (PDF). archive.pib.gov.in. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  17. ^ "New Fortress Commander and Commandant NDA" (PDF). archive.pib.gov.in. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  18. ^ "Vice Admiral SK Chand takes over Southern Naval Command" (PDF). archive.pib.gov.in. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  19. ^ "PS DAS, NEW FLAG OFFICER COMMANDING-IN-CHIEF EASTERN NAVAL COMMAND" (PDF). archive.pib.gov.in. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  20. ^ "New Fortress Commander" (PDF). archive.pib.gov.in. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  21. ^ "Vice Admiral RN Ganesh is the New Fortress Commander" (PDF). archive.pib.gov.in. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  22. ^ "Vice Admiral Harinder Singh takes over as Fortress Commander" (PDF). archive.pib.gov.in. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  23. ^ "Indian Navy to host MILAN-97 at Port Blair" (PDF). archive.pib.gov.in. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  24. ^ "Appointments" (PDF). archive.pib.gov.in. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
  25. ^ "Vice Admiral OP Bansal takes over as Director General Indian Coast Guard" (PDF). archive.pib.gov.in. Retrieved 27 August 2025.

Bibliography

  • Hiranandani, G M (2005), Transition to eminence : the Indian navy 1976-1990, Lancer Publishers, ISBN 978-8170622666
  • Hiranandani, G. M. (2010), Transition to Guardianship: The Indian Navy 1991-2000, Lancer InterConsult, Incorporated, ISBN 978-1935501268
  • Singh, Anup (2018), Blue Waters Ahoy!, The Indian Navy 2001-2010, HarperCollins Publishers India, ISBN 978-93-5302-552-6
  • Mukherjee, Anit; Mohan, C. Raja (2015), India's Naval Strategy and Asian Security, Routledge, ISBN 978-1-317-36133-6


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