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 . In 2000, the Sukanya-class patrol vessel 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 Notes1Rear Admiral Gupteshwar Rai December 1992December 1993First FOST. Later Flag Officer Commanding Maharashtra Naval Area.2Rear Admiral O. P. Bansal December 1993October 1995Later Director General of the Indian Coast Guard.3Rear Admiral K. V. Bharathan October 1995May 1997Later Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet.4Rear Admiral Ajit Tewari May 1997November 19985Rear Admiral S. S. Byce November 1998May 2000Later Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Naval Command.6Rear Admiral Rakesh Chopra May 2000January 20027Rear Admiral Rakesh Kala January 2002November 20038Rear Admiral I. K. Saluja November 2003May 20059Rear Admiral V. S. Chaudhari May 2005July 200610Rear Admiral M. P. Muralidharan July 2006May 2007Later Director General of the Indian Coast Guard.11Rear Admiral Rama Kant Pattanaik May 2007November 2008Later Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff.12Rear Admiral Sunil LanbaNovember 2008October 2009Later Chief of the Naval Staff.13Rear Admiral Harish Bisht October 2009January 2011Later Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Naval Command.14Rear Admiral G. Ashok Kumar July 2011August 2012Later Vice Chief of the Naval Staff.15Rear Admiral Murlidhar Sadashiv Pawar September 2012December 2013Later Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff.16Rear Admiral R. Hari Kumar December 2013November 2014Later Chief of the Naval Staff.17Rear Admiral G. Ashok Kumar November 2014March 2015Later Vice Chief of the Naval Staff.18Rear Admiral S. K. Grewal March 2015October 201619Rear Admiral M. A. Hampiholi October 2016February 2018Later Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Southern Naval Command.20Rear Admiral Sanjay Jasjit Singh February 2018March 2019Later Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Naval Command.21Rear Admiral Krishna Swaminathan March 2019February 2020Current Chief of the Naval Staff.22Rear Admiral Rajesh Pendharkar February 2020May 2021Later Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Naval Command.23Rear Admiral Rajesh Dhankhar June 2021April 2022Current Deputy Chief of the Integrated Defence Staff (Doctrine, Organisation & Training).24Rear Admiral Rahul Vilas Gokhale May 2022May 2023Current Chief of Staff, Western Naval Command.25Rear Admiral Susheel Menon May 2023Sept 1, 2024Current Chief of Staff, Eastern Naval Command.26Rear Admiral Srinivas MaddulaSept 1, 202421 November 2025Current Flag Officer Commanding Western Fleet.27Rear Admiral Vidhyadhar Harke 22 November 202531 July 2026Current Flag Officer Commanding Maharashtra Naval Area.28Rear Admiral Sundeep Singh Randhawa 1 October 2026IncumbentCurrent FOST https://www.ssbcrack.com/2026/10/rear-admiral-sundeep-s-randhawa-assumes-charge-as-28th-flag-officer-sea-training.html

See also Southern Naval Command

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