New Delhi

The Centre has appointed retired Lieutenant General N S Raja Subramani as India’s next Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), entrusting him with the key responsibility of advancing military theatreisation and strengthening integration among the three armed services.

The government has also named Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan as the next Chief of the Naval Staff.

Lt Gen Subramani will succeed incumbent CDS Anil Chauhan and assume office on May 30. Vice Admiral Swaminathan will take over from Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi on May 31, according to an official statement.

A recognised expert on both Pakistan and China, Lt Gen Subramani retired as Vice Chief of Army Staff in July last year and is currently serving as military adviser to the National Security Council Secretariat.

As CDS, he will also serve as Secretary of the Department of Military Affairs and is expected to focus on implementing the long-pending theatre command model aimed at integrating operational structures of the Army, Navy and Air Force.

A graduate of the National Defence Academy and the Indian Military Academy, Lt Gen Subramani was commissioned into the Garhwal Rifles in 1985.

During a military career spanning over four decades, he held several operational and strategic appointments, including command roles in counter-insurgency operations in Assam, deployments in Jammu and Kashmir, and leadership positions on both India’s western and northern frontiers.

He also served as General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Central Command and later as Vice Chief of Army Staff.

Meanwhile, Vice Admiral Swaminathan, currently heading the Western Naval Command, is expected to continue the Indian Navy’s modernisation and force expansion initiatives.

Commissioned into the Indian Navy in 1987, he is a specialist in communication and electronic warfare.

Over his distinguished naval career, he has commanded several frontline platforms, including INS Vikramaditya, INS Mysore, INS Kulish, INS Vidyut and INS Vinash.

A recipient of the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal and Vishisht Seva Medal, Vice Admiral Swaminathan has previously served as Vice Chief of the Naval Staff and in several senior personnel and operational appointments at Naval Headquarters.

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The twin appointments come at a crucial phase for India’s defence establishment as it pushes for greater jointness, indigenous capability development and enhanced preparedness across multiple strategic theatres.