Vice Admiral Vineet McCarty assumed the role of Commandant at the Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala, on January 15, 2024. He joined the Indian Navy on July 1, 1989, and holds degrees from the Defence Service Staff College, Wellington (2005), and the National Defence College, New Delhi (2017).
An expert in Gunnery and Missiles, Vice Admiral McCarty was part of the initial crew of INS Delhi and spent his early career on Guided Missile Destroyers. His naval journey includes serving as Executive Officer on various vessels such as a Seaward Defence Patrol Vessel, a Guided Missile Vessel, and the Landing Platform Dock INS Jalashwa. He commanded the Anti-Submarine Patrol Vessel INS Ajay, the Guided Missile Corvette INS Khanjar, and the Guided Missile Frigate INS Shivalik.
His off-sea roles have been diverse, including Training Commander at the Naval Academy and Command Plans Officer at the Headquarters Eastern Naval Command. Internationally, he was Directing Staff at the Naval and Maritime Academy in Sri Lanka and served as India’s Defence Adviser in Singapore, with concurrent accreditation to the Philippines. From 2018 to 2020, he was Commodore (Naval Plans), focusing on the Indian Navy’s Perspective, Financial, and Acquisition Plans.
Promoted to Flag Rank on February 10, 2020, he took on the role of Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff (Staff Requirements) at Naval Headquarters, overseeing Capability Development and Combat Policy formulation. Before becoming the Commandant of the Indian Naval Academy, he was the Flag Officer Commanding the Western Fleet from November 15, 2022, to November 9, 2023.
