Article Posted on : - Mar 01, 2016

VISAKHAPATNAM (PTI): Vice-Admiral H C S Bisht took over as the flag officer commanding-in-chief, eastern naval command, from vice-admiral Satish Soni who retired on Monday.

Bisht inspected the ceremonial guard and reviewed platoons of the naval personnel drawn from various ships and establishments of the Command (ENC) at the parade held at the Visakhapatnam naval base.

Soni, who served Navy for 40 years, was accorded farewell by traditional 'pulling out' ceremony wherein flag officers and commanding officers of ships and naval establishments pulled his jeep by ropes.

Bisht had served as Executive Officer of ASW corvette 'INS Ajay', commander work-up in Indian Naval Work Up Team (INWT) at Kochi, fleet gunnery officer of the Eastern Fleet at Visakhapatnam, commissioning commanding officer of the missile corvette INS Kora and also commanded stealth frigate, INS Tabar.

He also worked as Director, Naval Intelligence, at naval headquarters and as defence Attache at the High Commission of India, Singapore.

Since his promotion to the rank of Vice-Admiral on September 1, 2012, Bisht has served as the controller, personnel services (CPS), at Integrated Headquarters, ministry of Defence (Navy) and as DG of Coast Guard (DGICG).