Vice Admiral Vineet McCarty takes charge as 20th commander-in-chief of Andaman & Nicobar Command

NEW DELHI: Vice Admiral Vineet McCarty on Monday assumed charge as the 20th commander-in-chief of the Andaman & Nicobar Command (ANC) at Sri Vijaya Puram.On assuming charge, Vice Admiral McCarty stressed the strategic significance of the command in safeguarding India’s maritime interests and ensuring stability and security in the Indian Ocean Region. He reaffirmed his commitment towards enhancing operational preparedness, strengthening jointness and synergy amongst the services, and further reinforcing ANC’s role as India’s only tri-service operational command and a vital pillar of national security in the Indo-Pacific region.Commissioned into the Indian Navy on July 01, 1989, the Flag Officer is a specialist in gunnery and missiles. An alumnus of the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, and the National Defence College, New Delhi, he brings over 36 years of distinguished service across operational, staff, training and tri-service domains.Vice Admiral McCarty’s sea tenures include serving as part of the commissioning crew of INS Delhi and completing all specialist appointments onboard the frontline destroyer. He has commanded INS Ajay, INS Khanjar and INS Shivalik.Key staff and training roles include training commander at the Indian Naval Academy, command plans officer at the headquarters of the Eastern Naval Command, and Commodore Naval Plans at the Naval Headquarters.On promotion to Flag Rank in 2020, he served as Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Staff Requirements), Controller of Personnel Services, and commanded the Western Fleet as Flag Officer Commanding Western Fleet (FOCWF) in 2023. He was the tenth Commandant of the Indian Naval Academy in 2024.Prior to his current appointment, the officer held consecutive tri-service appointments at Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff (HQ IDS) as Deputy Chief of Integrated Defence Staff (Policy, Plans and Force Development) and Deputy Chief of Integrated Defence Staff (Doctrine, Organisation and Training) during 2025-26.His overseas assignments include serving as Directing Staff at the Naval and Maritime Academy, Sri Lanka, and as Defence Advisor to Singapore and the Philippines concurrently from 2011 to 2015.