According to the "India Today" website, on December 8, local time, India's chief of defense, Bipin Rawat, was killed in a helicopter crash, which brought multiple challenges to the Indian government led by Prime Minister Modi. One of the most urgent tasks of the Government of India, and in particular of its defence agencies, is to elect a new Chief of Defence Staff as soon as possible.
Bipin Rawat was killed in a helicopter crash. Image source: Indian media
To further integrate the Army, Navy and Air Force, the Indian government created the post of Chief of Defence Staff for the first time in 2019, with Rawat being the first to hold this position and playing an important role in promoting the reform of india's armed forces.
Rawat aligned his thinking with Modi and India's national security adviser, Ajit Doval, which was evident in the Modi government's decision to first promote him to army chief of staff in 2016 and then appoint him as chief of defence staff the day before he retired.
Bipin Rawat's appointment to the Indian Army Chief of Staff was also controversial, as there were two army officers who were more senior than him at the time, but both ultimately lost to Rawat. Given Rawat's experience in managing India's Eastern and Western Theaters, it was only natural that he would be appointed Chief of Defence Staff at the end of December 2019.
Indian media speculated that the Modi government may appoint the next chief of defence staff within a week, and the basic criteria for the selection are simple, and the commanders of the three branches of the Indian army, air force and navy are eligible to serve as the chief of defence staff. The Indian government must make decisions based on the merits and seniority of the officers, and the person serving as chief of the Defence Staff should not be older than 65 years old.
Among the active generals of the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force, The Chief of Staff of the Indian Army, Naravan, is the highest-ranking officer in the Indian Armed Forces after Rawat. Naravan succeeded Rawat as Chief of Staff of the Indian Army in December 2019, a term he held until April 2022. Compared to the Chief of Staff of the Indian Navy and Air Force, he is at the top of the seniority list. The Chief of Staff of the Indian Air Force, Choudari, took over his current position on September 30 this year, and Chief of Naval Staff Kumar took office even later, taking over his current position on November 30.
Chief of Staff of the Indian Air Force, Choudari. Image source: Indian media
Indian media said that in addition to seniority, the factor that favored Narawa's promotion to the post of chief of national defense staff was the situation on the Sino-Indian border, which required the Indian Army to play a greater role. The Indian government may find it inclined to make the Army Chief of Staff the next Chief of Defence Chief of Staff.
The Chief of Defence Staff is India's highest-ranking officer and plays multiple roles, serving as minister of the new Ministry of Defence's "Ministry of Military Affairs" (DMA), permanent chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee and chief adviser to the Minister of Defence.
Like the position of Chief of Defense Staff, the Department of Military Affairs was created in 2019 to handle work related to the procurement and asset acquisition of the three services, while the chief of defense staff is tasked with ensuring seamless coordination between the three services.
Chief of Staff of the Indian Navy, Kumar. Image source: Indian media
The new Chief of Defence Staff will also be tasked with the heavy task of continuing to advance the Indian Armed Forces modernization programme that Rawat launched during his time in that role. Reorganizing the Indian armed forces according to the theater command line, as many militarily leading countries have done, is one of General Rawat's top priorities. However, due to differences between the Indian Air Force and Navy and Rawat's ideas, the process of promoting the transition of the military command system to a theater structure has been postponed. As we move forward, the next Chief of Defense Chief of Staff may have to bridge the gap between the three services.