India's only tri-service command has a new commander. Vice Admiral Vineet McCarty, a gunnery and missile warfare specialist with more than 36 years of service in the Indian Navy, took charge as the 20th Commander-in-Chief of the Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC) on Monday.
Located at a strategically important position overlooking key sea lanes in the Indian Ocean Region, the command plays a crucial role in India's maritime security architecture.
Commissioned into the Indian Navy on July 1, 1989, Vice Admiral McCarty is an alumnus of the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, and the National Defence College, New Delhi. He was part of the commissioning crew of INS Delhi and later held several specialist appointments aboard the frontline destroyer.
Over the course of his naval career, he has commanded a number of warships, including the patrol vessel INS Ajay, missile corvette INS Khanjar and the stealth frigate INS Shivalik.
His experience also extends to key operational, training and planning appointments. He has served as Training Commander at the Indian Naval Academy, Command Plans Officer at the Headquarters of the Eastern Naval Command and Commodore Naval Plans at Naval Headquarters.
After being promoted to Flag Rank in 2020, Vice Admiral McCarty held several senior leadership positions, including Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Staff Requirements), Controller of Personnel Services and Flag Officer Commanding Western Fleet in 2023. He later served as the 10th Commandant of the Indian Naval Academy in 2024.
Before taking over the ANC, he held back-to-back tri-service appointments at Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff, serving as Deputy Chief of Integrated Defence Staff for Policy, Plans and Force Development and later for Doctrine, Organisation and Training during 2025-26.
His overseas assignments include serving as Directing Staff at the Naval and Maritime Academy in Sri Lanka and as Defence Adviser to Singapore and the Philippines between 2011 and 2015.
The Navy said Vice Admiral McCarty's extensive experience in operational command, strategic planning and tri-service coordination is expected to further strengthen jointness and operational preparedness at the strategically significant Andaman and Nicobar Command.
