INS Virbahu

INS Virbahu is an Indian Navy submarine base at Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, on the Bay of Bengal coast, and forms part of the Eastern Naval Command.

The base provides administrative and logistic support to the 8th and 11th Submarine Squadrons, and accommodation, messing, welfare and recreational facilities for submarine crews. It is the seat of the Commodore Commanding Submarines (East), who also serves as the commanding officer of the establishment. The squadrons supported from Virbahu have operated Vela-class and Sindhughosh-class boats. Submarine training, originally a Virbahu function, is now conducted by INS Satavahana, and class authority functions have passed to Submarine Headquarters, leaving Virbahu with the operational and logistic support role.

INS Virbahu was commissioned as the shore support base for submarines on 19 May 1971, initially hosting the 8th Submarine Squadron, whose Captain Submarines appointment was held by the base's commanding officer. The induction of the Sindhughosh class led to the raising of the 11th Submarine Squadron at Visakhapatnam. In April 1990 the operational authority over the squadrons was raised from Captain Submarines to Commodore Submarines, an appointment redesignated Commodore Commanding Submarines (East) in June 1997.