Rear Admiral Rajesh Pendharkar, AVSM, VSM.

Rear Admiral Rajesh Pendharkar, AVSM, VSM has assumed charge as the Flag Officer Sea Training (FOST) on February 11, 2020. He is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy and was commissioned into the Indian Navy in Jan 1987. The officer is a graduate of the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, Naval War College, Karanja, and Naval Command College, Newport, Rhode Island, USA. He holds a Master's Degree in Defence and Strategic Studies.

An Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) specialist,the Flag Officer has held various challenging staff and command assignments during his distinguished naval career suchascommissioning crew of the Off Shore Patrol Vessel INS Subhadra at Masan, South Korea, Flag Lieutenant to the Flag Officer Commanding Maharashtra Naval Area and instructor at the National Defence Academy, besidesassignments such as ASW Officer of Indian Naval ships Dunagiri and Ganga, and Analysis Officer in Weapons Analysis Unit. His other tenures at sea include those as Executive Officer of missile corvette INS Kirpan and missile destroyer INS Mysore, Commanding Officer of missile corvette INS Kora, stealth frigate INS Shivalik and the aircraft carrier INS Viraat.

The Admiral has also held the appointments of the Assistant Chief of Integrated Defence Staff at Defence Intelligence Agency, New Delhi, and subsequently as the Chief Staff Officer (Operations) in Headquarters, Western Naval Command and as the Flag Officer Commanding Maharashtra Naval Area.

The Flag Officer is a recipient of the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM) and Vishisht Seva Medal (VSM) for distinguished service. The officer has taken overthe appointment from Rear Admiral K Swaminathan, VSM who is taking over as the Flag Officer Commanding Western Fleet (FOCWF).