Eastern Naval Command

The Eastern Naval Command of the Indian Navy is one of its three major formations. It utilizes Visakhapatnam as its headquarters, and has bases there and at Kolkata. It is the first and the largest naval command in India.

Area of responsibility
Under the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command (FOC-in-C East) is the Flag Officer Commanding, Eastern Fleet (FOCEF), Commodore Commanding Submarines (East) (COMCOS (E)), Admiral Superintendent Dockyard for Visakhapatnam, shore establishments, and five Naval Officers-in-Charge (NOICs). The current FOC-in-C East is Vice Admiral Anil Chopra.

The Eastern naval Command has the states of Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, and the island chain of Andaman and Nicobar under its area of responsibility.

The FOC-in-C (East) is the submarine operating authority, under whom Commodore Commanding Submarines (East) [COMCOS (E)] operate. The 11th (Sindhughosh class submarine) and 8th (Foxtrot class) Submarine Squadrons operate under COMCOS (E). INS Virbahu, a submarine base commissioned on 19 May 1971, is the alma matar of the Indian Navy submariners.

Naval bases
The headquarters at Visakhapatnam is also a strategically important dockyard for two nuclear-powered submarines. Due to congestion and heavy shipping traffic, a new 20 square km base INS Varsha is being developed for exclusive naval use about 50 km south of Visakhapatnam.

The Eastern Navy fleet is distribute among its bases at Kolkata, Paradip, Tuticorin, Kakinada and Chennai on the east coast, and in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The Navy has opened its latest naval air base, INS Baaz, at the southernmost tip of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to secure the strategically important Straits of Malacca, and another naval air station in Kolkata to base an unmanned aerial vehicle squadron.

Capabilities
In 2005, Eastern Naval Command was home to 30 warships. INS Jalashwa is the flagship of Eastern Fleet and provides amphibious capabilities to Indian Navy in the Bay of Bengal. Eastern Fleet is equipped with submarine pens and maintenance dockyards. The Amphibious Task Group of Eastern Naval Fleet has INS Jalashwa (LPD). It also includes five Rajput class destroyers, two Shivalik class frigates, Sindhughosh class submarines and the  INS Chakra. Naval aviation is provided by Sea King Helicopters. Apart from these, a number of smaller vessels such as fast attack craft make the total fleet strength of the command to 52 vessels in 2012.

Future
Until 1997, INS Vikrant was the flagship of Eastern Fleet. After her de-commissioning in 1997, the Eastern Fleet has been without an aircraft carrier. Once the Navy receives INS Vikrant or INS Vikramaditya, it will deploy the INS Viraat to the eastern seaboard.