# Surinder Pal Singh Cheema

Vice Admiral Surinder Pal Singh Cheema PVSM, AVSM, NM is a former Flag Officer in the Indian Navy. He last served as Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Western and Southern Naval Commands. He also served as the Commander-in-Chief, Strategic Forces Command and the Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to the Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee. He retired from the service on 31 January 2016, after almost four decades of service.

## Early life and education

Cheema attended the Sainik School, Kunjpura. He then graduated from the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla and was commissioned into the Indian Navy on 1 January 1977.

## Military career

Cheema is a missile and gunnery specialist. He was the Commissioning Commanding Officer of the Missile boat INS Nishank and commanded the Khukri class missile corvette INS Khanjar. He also commissioned the Talwar class stealth frigate INS Trishul as the commanding officer. He served as the 14th Commanding Officer of the Centaur class aircraft carrier INS Viraat. Ashore, he commanded the naval base INS Mandovi in Goa.
He attended the Defence Services Staff College (DSSC), Wellington where he was awarded the Lentaigne and Scudder Medals (for best dissertation and being "first in overall order of merit"). He also attended the College of Naval Warfare (CNW), Mumbai.

### Flag Rank

As a Rear Admiral, Cheema commanded the Western Fleet from 2008 to 2009. In his staff appointments, he served as the Controller Personnel Services at the Integrated Headquarters. He served as the Deputy Chief of Integrated Defence Staff (DCIDS) for Perspective Planning and Force Development (PP&FD) and for DOT in two different assignments. Apart from these, he served as the Chief of the Staff of Western Naval Command.
After promotion to the rank of Vice Admiral, he served in four different appointments as a Commander-in-Chief since being promoted to C-in-C grade on 31 August 2012. He served as the FOC-in-C of Southern Naval Command from 2014 to 2015; Commander-in-Chief, Strategic Forces Command; Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to the Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee; and as lastly as the FOC-in-C of Western Naval Command. He also served as the Commandant of Indian Naval Academy. He retired on 31 January 2016, after four decades of service; Vice Admiral Sunil Lanba succeeded him as FOC-in-C of Western Naval Command.

## Awards and decorations

| Param Vishisht Seva Medal | Ati Vishisht Seva Medal | Nausena Medal | Special Service Medal |
| Operation Parakram Medal | Videsh Seva Medal | 50th Anniversary of Independence Medal | 30 Years Long Service Medal |
| | 20 Years Long Service Medal | 9 Years Long Service Medal | |

## Gallery

* Admiral RK Dhowan being congratulated by SPS Cheema after taking over as new Chief of Naval Staff
* Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, the Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral RK Dhowan and other dignitaries at the undocking of INS Kalvari
* Exchange of the baton between Vice Admiral SPS Cheema and Vice Admiral Sunil Lanba
* Goa Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar and Vice Admiral SPS Cheema onboard FNS Charles De Gaulle
* Goa Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar, Vice Admiral SPS Cheema, and Indian and French naval personnel onboard aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle
* Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel onboard INS Kolkata
* C. Vidyasagar Rao, Governor of Maharashtra, during his visit to INS Shishumar