# Flag Officer Sea Training (India)

The Flag Officer Sea Training (FOST) is a training organisation in the Indian Navy. FOST is the authority responsible for the operational sea training of all personnel of Indian Naval and Coast Guard ships and submarines. The organisation was instituted in 1992 and is the common authority to maintain battle efficiency standards. It also provides training to navies and maritime security forces of friendly foreign countries (FFC). Headquartered in Kochi, the FOST operates under the control of the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Southern Naval Command.

## History

In October 1977, an organisation called the Weapons workup organisation (WWO) was set up. This was aimed at increasing the efficiency of ships' weapons. In 1981, it was re-designated Warship Workup Organisation in Bombay. An additional WWO was set up in Vizag - WWO (V) - for the Eastern Fleet. In March 1992, a local flotilla workup team (LWT) was set up for the ships operating under the Maharashtra Naval Area. These three organisations - WWO (B), WWO (V) and LWT - reported into the Flag Officer Commanding Western Fleet (FOCWF), Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet (FOCEF) and Flag Officer Commanding Maharashtra Naval Area (FOMA) respectively.
In 1992, a single authority was created to consolidate work-up efforts and serve as the safety authority responsible for the operational sea training (OST) of all ships. The organisation would be headed by a rear admiral of the executive branch and be based out of Kochi. As the Southern Naval Command (SNC) was the training command of the Navy, the FOST would report into the FOC-in-C SNC. An Indian Navy Workup Team (INWT) was created at Kochi and local workup units were created at Bombay and Vizag - LWT (West) and LWT (East).
On 4 June 1993, the first ship was trained by FOST - the Khukri-class corvette INS Khanjar (P47). In 2000, the Sukanya-class patrol vessel INS Sarayu (P54) was sold to the Sri Lanka Navy. She was commissioned as SLNS Sayura in November 2000. The Sayura was the first foreign ship whose operational sea training was conducted by INWT and FOST.

## Structure

The INWT at Kochi works up all major warships - Aircraft Carriers, Anti-submarine warfare and Guided-missile destroyers, frigates and other fleet units. The INWT is under the operational control of FOST and administrative control of FOC-in-C SNC. The LWT (West) and LWT (East) work up Seaward-class defense boats, missile boats, Anti Submarine Patrol Vessels, Ocean-going tugs, etc. They are under the operational control of FOST and administrative control of FOC-in-C of Western Naval Command and Eastern Naval Command respectively.

## Training regime

The FOST conducts multiple types of training which encompasses all spheres of ship activity. There are short training programs like the Sea Safety Checks (SSC) and Operational Sea Checks (OSC) for a duration of 7 – 10 days on selected disciplines like Bridge Work, Damage Control and Fire Fighting, Machinery Breakdown Drills and Ship Safety.
It also conducts full work-up programs, under the ambit of OST, from three weeks (for minor war vessels) to six weeks (for aircraft carriers). It ensures a thorough training of the ship to achieve the prescribed performance standards. On completion, it conducts an operational readiness assessment at sea and certifies the ships operational status and the areas of improvement. The OST covers all operational/combat functions - aviation, ship management, hull, seamanship, NBCD, engineering, electrical, logistics and medical.

## List of FOST

| S.No. | Name | Assumed office | Left office | Notes |
| 1 | Rear Admiral Gupteshwar Rai AVSM, NM, VSM | December 1992 | December 1993 | First FOST. Later Flag Officer Commanding Maharashtra Naval Area. |
| 2 | Rear Admiral O. P. Bansal AVSM, VSM | December 1993 | October 1995 | Later served as Director General of the Indian Coast Guard. |
| 3 | Rear Admiral K. V. Bharathan VSM | October 1995 | May 1997 | Later served as Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet. |
| 4 | Rear Admiral Ajit Tewari NM | May 1997 | November 1998 | |
| 5 | Rear Admiral S. S. Byce NM | November 1998 | May 2000 | Later served as Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Naval Command. |
| 6 | Rear Admiral Rakesh Chopra VSM | May 2000 | January 2002 | |
| 7 | Rear Admiral Rakesh Kala NM | January 2002 | November 2003 | |
| 8 | Rear Admiral I. K. Saluja AVSM, VSM | November 2003 | May 2005 | |
| 9 | Rear Admiral V. S. Chaudhari NM | May 2005 | July 2006 | |
| 10 | Rear Admiral M. P. Muralidharan NM | July 2006 | May 2007 | Later served as Director General of the Indian Coast Guard. |
| 11 | Rear Admiral Rama Kant Pattanaik YSM | May 2007 | November 2008 | Later served as Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff. |
| 12 | Rear Admiral Sunil Lanba | November 2008 | October 2009 | Later served as Chief of the Naval Staff. |
| 13 | Rear Admiral Harish Bisht | October 2009 | January 2011 | Later served as Director General of the Indian Coast Guard and Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Naval Command. |
| 14 | Rear Admiral G. Ashok Kumar VSM | July 2011 | August 2012 | Later served as Vice Chief of the Naval Staff. |
| 15 | Rear Admiral Murlidhar Sadashiv Pawar VSM | September 2012 | December 2013 | Later served as Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff. |
| 16 | Rear Admiral R. Hari Kumar VSM | December 2013 | November 2014 | Later Chief of the Naval Staff. |
| 17 | Rear Admiral G. Ashok Kumar VSM | November 2014 | March 2015 | Later Vice Chief of the Naval Staff. |
| 18 | Rear Admiral S. K. Grewal VSM | March 2015 | October 2016 | |
| 19 | Rear Admiral M. A. Hampiholi NM | October 2016 | February 2018 | Later Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Southern Naval Command. |
| 20 | Rear Admiral Sanjay Jasjit Singh NM | February 2018 | March 2019 | Current Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Naval Command. |
| 21 | Rear Admiral Krishna Swaminathan VSM | March 2019 | February 2020 | Current Vice Chief of the Naval Staff. |
| 22 | Rear Admiral Rajesh Pendharkar AVSM, VSM | February 2020 | May 2021 | Current Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Naval Command. |
| 23 | Rear Admiral Rajesh Dhankhar NM | June 2021 | April 2022 | Current Director General Project Seabird. |
| 24 | Rear Admiral Rahul Vilas Gokhale NM | May 2022 | May 2023 | Current Flag Officer Commanding Western Fleet. |
| 25 | Rear Admiral Susheel Menon VSM | May 2023 | Sept 1, 2024 | Current Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet. |
| 26 | Rear Admiral Srinivas Maddula | Sept 1, 2024 | Incumbent | Current FOST. |