Vice Admiral Vineet McCarty on Monday assumed charge as the 20th Commander-in-Chief of the Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC), India’s only tri-service operational command, at Sri Vijaya Puram.
A recipient of the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM), Vice Admiral McCarty succeeds in leading the strategically important command responsible for safeguarding India’s interests in the Indian Ocean Region and the wider Indo-Pacific.
Commissioned into the Indian Navy on July 1, 1989, the Flag Officer is a specialist in gunnery and missile warfare and brings more than 36 years of experience across operational, training, staff and tri-service appointments. He is an alumnus of the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, and the National Defence College, New Delhi.
During his naval career, Vice Admiral McCarty served as a member of the commissioning crew of INS Delhi and completed all specialist appointments onboard the frontline destroyer. His command assignments at sea include INS Ajay, INS Khanjar and the stealth frigate INS Shivalik.
He has also held several key appointments ashore, including Training Commander at the Indian Naval Academy, Command Plans Officer at Headquarters Eastern Naval Command and Commodore Naval Plans at Naval Headquarters.
After being promoted to Flag Rank in 2020, he served as Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Staff Requirements) and Controller of Personnel Services before taking command of the Western Fleet as Flag Officer Commanding Western Fleet in 2023. In 2024, he became the tenth Commandant of the Indian Naval Academy.
Before assuming charge of the Andaman and Nicobar Command, Vice Admiral McCarty held consecutive tri-service appointments at Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff during 2025 and 2026. He served as Deputy Chief of Integrated Defence Staff (Policy, Plans and Force Development) and later as Deputy Chief of Integrated Defence Staff (Doctrine, Organisation and Training).
His overseas assignments include serving as Directing Staff at the Naval and Maritime Academy in Sri Lanka and as Defence Advisor to Singapore and the Philippines between 2011 and 2015.
Upon taking charge, Vice Admiral McCarty highlighted the strategic importance of the Andaman and Nicobar Command in ensuring maritime security and regional stability. He reaffirmed his commitment to enhancing operational preparedness and strengthening jointness and synergy among the armed forces.
He also emphasised the role of the command as a key pillar of India’s security architecture in the Indo-Pacific region.
Established in 2001, the Andaman and Nicobar Command is India’s first and only integrated theatre command, bringing together personnel and assets from the Army, Navy and Air Force under a unified operational structure.
