Rear Admiral Sundeep Singh Randhawa, VSM is a serving Flag officer in the Indian Navy. He currently serves as the Flag Officer Sea Training. He earlier served as the commanding officer of the aircraft carrier .

Naval career Randhawa attended the Naval Academy, Goa and was commissioned into the Indian Navy on 1 July 1996. He qualified as a ship's diver and later specialised in Navigation and Direction. As a lieutenant, he served as the Flag Lieutenant to the Chief of the Naval Staff, and commanded the Fast attack craft (FAC) T-80.

In his early sea tenures, he served on the Pondicherry-class minesweeper and the Kora-class corvette . He later commanded the Veer-class corvette , part of the 22nd Missile Vessel Squadron (Killer squadron).

In 2008, Randhawa was selected to attend the Advanced Command and Staff Course at the Joint Services Command and Staff College (JSCSC), Shrivenham in the United Kingdom. He also served onboard the aircraft carrier and the lead ship of her class of destroyers, . He later served as the Staff Officer (Navigation and Direction) at HQ Flag Officer Sea Training.

As a Captain, Randhawa was appointed the commissioning Executive Officer of the aircraft carrier . He also served as the Command Plans Officer of the Western Naval Command, as Directing Staff at Naval War College, Goa and as the Officer-in-Charge Navigation and Direction School, Kochi. In 2016, Randhawa was selected to attend the Naval War College, Newport, Rhode Island. He later commanded the Kolkata-class guided-missile destroyer . In 2020, when the Department of Military Affairs was created, he was among the first set of serving officers chosen to tenant Director-level posts.

As a Commodore, Randhawa served as the Cmde (Naval Operations) at Naval Headquarters. On 14 November 2024, he was appointed commanding officer of and took over from Captain Vishal Bishnoi.

Flag rank Randhawa was promoted to flag rank on 1 October 2026 and was appointed Flag Officer Sea Training (FOST) at Kochi. The FOST functions under the operational and administrative jurisdiction of Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Southern Naval Command. As FOST, his charter includes the conduct of the operational sea training of all ships and submarines of the Indian Navy and the Indian Coast Guard. It includes enhancing crew proficiency in all aspects, including safe navigation practices, damage control and firefighting drills, weapon firings as well as seamanship training.

Awards and decorations

Vishisht Seva MedalSamanya Seva MedalOperation Vijay MedalOperation Parakram MedalSainya Seva Medal75th Independence Anniversary Medal50th Independence Anniversary Medal30 Years Long Service Medal20 Years Long Service Medal9 Years Long Service Medal

See also Flag Officer Sea Training

References