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.[1] He also served as the Commander-in-Chief of Strategic Forces Command and the Chief Of Integrated Defence Staff to the Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee.[1] He retired from the service on 31 January 2016, after four decades of service.[2]

Vice Admiral S P S Cheema PVSM, AVSM, NM
Allegiance	India
Service/branch	Indian Navy
Years of service	January 1977 – January 2016
Rank	Vice Admiral
Commands held	Western Naval Command Southern Naval Command Strategic Forces Command Integrated Defence Staff Western Fleet Indian Naval Academy INS Viraat INS Trishul INS Khanjar INS Nishank
Awards	Param Vishist Seva Medal Ati Vishist Seva Medal Nausena Medal

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

Vice Admiral SPS Cheema (right) with Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar (center) and CNS RK Dhowan during commissioning of INS Vajrakosh

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 and the Talwar class stealth frigate INS Trishul. He served as the 14th Commanding Officer of the Centaur class aircraft carrier INS Viraat. He also headed the naval base INS Mandovi.[3]

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.[3]

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 of the 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.[4][2]

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

References

1. "Vice Admiral SPS Cheema takes over as FOC-in-C(West), Western Naval Command". Indian Navy. 31 March 2015. Retrieved 31 March 2015.
2. "Vice Admiral Sunil Lanba Takes Over Western Naval Command". PIB. Govt. of India. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
3. "Vice Admiral Cheema takes over as chief of Southern Naval Command". The Hindu. 19 June 2014. Retrieved 19 January 2020.
4. "Vice Admiral SPS Cheema takes over as FOC-in-c (South)". Indian Navy. Retrieved 27 January 2016.

Military offices
Preceded by Anil Chopra	Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command 2015-2016	Succeeded by Sunil Lanba
Preceded by Satish Soni	Flag Officer Commanding in Chief, Southern Naval Command 2014-2015	Succeeded by Sunil Lanba
Preceded by Air Marshal K J Mathews	Commander-in-Chief, Strategic Forces Command 1 November 2012 - June 2014	Succeeded by Lt Gen Amit Sharma
Preceded by Vice Admiral Shekhar Sinha	Chief Of Integrated Defence Staff 31 August 2012 – 1 November 2012	Succeeded by Lt Gen Naresh Chandra Marwah
Preceded by Anil Chopra	Flag Officer Commanding Western Fleet 27 November 2008 - 31 August 2009	Succeeded by Rama Kant Pattanaik
Preceded by Pradeep Chauhan	Commanding Officer INS Viraat 31 May 2005 - 15 May 2006	Succeeded by Girish Luthra