Movement at the top gives armed forces new look

The armed forces will have a completely new-look top brass in the New Year.

Vice-Admiral DK Joshi, touted as the next naval chief after Admiral Nirmal Verma retires, takes over as chief of integrated defence staff to chairman, chiefs of staff committee (CISC), from Air Marshal SC Mukul on Saturday. Joshi was commanding the coveted tri-services Andaman and Nicobar Command in Port Blair before this.

The next Indian Air Force (IAF) Chief Air Marshal NAK Browne takes over as IAF vice-chief on Saturday. He replaces Air Marshal PK Barbora, who retired on Friday.

Browne has flown a variety of fighter jets, including the vintage Hunter, all variants of MiG-21s, Jaguar and SU-30MKI. He was commanding the important sword arm of IAF, the Delhi-based Western Air Command, which was taken over on Friday by Air Marshal DC Kumaria. Browne is tipped to become IAF chief after PV Naik retires in July 2011.

Kumaria was till now senior air staff officer at the south western air command (SWAC) in Gandhinagar. The officer is a qualified weapons instructor and has served in Bangladesh and Italy.

The Delhi-based tri-services strategic forces command (SFC) will now be commanded by Air Marshal KJ Mathews. He takes over from by Lieutenant General Balraj Singh Nagal, who demitted office on Friday.

Tri-services organisations such as SFC, Andaman Nicobar and chief integrated defence headquarters get three-star officers from all three services in rotation as commanders.

Meanwhile, Air Marshal AK Gogoi is taking over as chief of SWAC. The new air officer personnel of IAF will be the present southern air command chief Air Marshal Anil Chopra.