Key military appointments: New Northern Command Chief, IAF Vice Chief, CISC to take over

Amidst heightened tensions between India and Pakistan, the strategically critical Northern Command is getting a new commander with Lt Gen Pratik Sharma being appointed as its General Officer Commanding-in-Chief.

He takes over from Lt Gen MV Suchindra Kumar, a 1985 batch officer from the Assam Rifles, who hangs up his boots on April 30 after 40 years of service.

Northern Command, headquartered at Udhampur near Jammu, is responsible for operations along the Line of Control with Pakistan and the Line of Actual Control with China as well as anti-terrorist operations in Jammu and Kashmir.

Lt Gen Sharma, who was commissioned into the 2nd Battalion of the Madras Regiment in December 1987, was the Deputy Chief of Army Staff (Strategy) at Army Headquarters prior to his elevation as the Northern Army Commander.

During his 37-year career, he has tenanted various command, staff and instructional appointments. He commanded 80 Infantry Brigade in Jammu and Kashmir, 25 Infantry Division in Poonch and 2 Corps at Ambala.

He has taken part in various operations in home and abroad, including the United Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire. He has also served as Director General Information Warfare and Director General Military Operations.

Meanwhile, Air Marshal Narmdeshwar Tiwari, a fighter pilot of June 1986 seniority, has been appointed as Vice Chief of the Air Staff at Air Headquarters. He takes over from Air Marshal Sujeet Pushpakar Dharkar, who retired on April 30.

A qualified flying instructor and experimental test pilot, Air Marshal Tiwari commanded No 1 Squadron, equipped with Mirage 2000 and later commanded the Jodhpur airbase. He has been instrumental in test flying the Tejas and served as the chief test pilot at Aircraft and Systems Testing Establishment.

He was posted as the Air Attaché at the Embassy of India in France and later the Project Director at National Flight Test Centre, Aeronautical Development Agency, Bangalore. Prior to his appointment as Vice Chief, he was the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, South Western Air Command.

Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Central Air Command, Allahabad, is moving as the Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to the Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee (CISC), taking over from Lt Gen JP Mathews on his retirement.

The CISC is the inter-service agency responsible for coordination among the three armed forces on operational, doctrinal and logistical aspects and is the second-highest authority responsible for inter-service jointness, subordinate only to the Chief of Defence Staff.

India