Lt Gen Manoj Pandey will take over as the next Army Chief on April 30, Defense Ministry announced on Monday, Gen Manoj Mukund Naravane is set to complete his term on that date.
Pandey, who is currently serving as the deputy chief, will be the first officer of the Corps of Engineers, also known as sappers, to take the top spot. Sappers officers have served as army commanders and deputy chiefs, but have never held the rank of army chief. He will serve as the Chief of Army Staff for more than two years. Service chiefs end their term after three years of service or when they turn 62, whichever is earlier.
Pandey will take over as the 29th Chief of the Army Staff at a time when India is working on a road map to dramatize the Army to best utilize the resources of the three Services for future wars and missions, and when the country Stuck in a boundary line. China.
His appointment comes at a time when indigenization of military hardware is a top priority for the government and military planners are assessing the impact of the Russo-Ukraine war on India’s military preparedness as two-thirds of the country’s military equipment is of Soviet or Russian origin. . ,