Lt Gen Dhiraj Seth to be next Army Chief

NEW DELHI, June 13: Lieutenant General Dhiraj Seth was appointed the next Chief of the Army Staff, and will assume the office from June 30, the government said in a press release on Saturday.

Lt Gen Seth, currently serving as the Vice Chief of the Army Staff, will succeed General Upendra Dwivedi, who will retire from service on June 30. With a career spanning four decades, Lt Gen Seth has the rare distinction of having led two operational Army Commands.

“I am directed to convey the approval of the President to the appointment of Lt General Dhiraj Seth, PVSM, UYSM, AVSM as the next Chief of the Army Staff in the substantive rank of General, with effect from 30 (th) June, 2026 vice General Upendra Dwivedi, PVSM, AVSM, with a tenure upto 31st August, 2028,” a statement from the ministry of defence said.

Lt Gen Dhiraj Seth was awarded the the Uttam Yudh Seva Medal in 2026, given for distinguished service of an exceptional order during war/ conflict/ hostilities and the Param Vishisht Seva Medal in 2025, given for distinguished service of the most exceptional order. He was also awarded the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in 2022.

Lt Gen Seth is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy in Khadakwasla, and was commissioned into the Armoured Corps in December 1986, according to a government statement. When he was elevated to the post of an Army Commander, he commanded the South Western Command and Southern Command in a rare feat, and provided strategic oversight across critical theaters for over a period of two-and-a-half years.

Lt Gen Seth has commanded at every level in diverse operational environments, served in an Armoured Regiment in the desert sector, an Armoured Brigade in the Western Theatre, and a Counter Insurgency Force in Jammu & Kashmir. He has also commanded the Sudarshan Chakra Corps, one of the Indian Army's premier strike formations.

In his career of over forty years, Lt Gen Seth has an experience across domains, in the operational, strategic, capability development and institutional aspects. According to the government release, the Officer has contributed “significantly to the Indian Army's combat effectiveness and long-term transformation.”

Lt Gen Seth has also served as General Officer Commanding of Delhi Area, overseeing key national and international military engagements and ceremonial responsibilities.

Apart from having held several key staff and strategic appointments, Lt Gen Seth has also been widely recognised for his contributions to force modernisation, according to the statement. During his appointments, the Lt Gen succeeded in “significantly” influencing operational planning, force management and capability development of the forces.

“The General Officer has tenanted pivotal appointments in the Strategic Planning and Capability Development verticals of Army Headquarters, shaping the Army's modernisation trajectory, capability roadmap and long-term force structuring initiatives,” the PIB's defence wing said in the statement. He has contributed to the alignment of emerging technology with the Army's operational requirements, keeping in mind the future battlefield imperatives.

Lt Gen Seth, apart from his operational prowess, has also excelled in professional military education, having secured top positions in courses of instruction. A graduate of the Higher Command Course and the National Defence College, he has also attended the Command and Staff Course in Paris.

IAF's AN-32 Transport Aircraft Crashes In Assam's Jorhat, 5 Killed

JORHAT, June 13: An Indian Air Force (IAF) AN-32 transport aircraft crashed and caught fire at the Air Force Station in Assam's Jorhat on Saturday morning killing five personnel.

The Air Force confirmed five casualties in the mishap and shared details. The personnel who lost their lives in the crash have been identified as Sqn Ldr Prashant Singh, Flt Lt Shubham Kumar, Sgt Jitendra Sharma, Agniveervayu Khemaram Kumawat and Agniveervayu Danish Alam.

The Indian Air Force deeply regrets the loss of five personnel in the An-32 accident at Jorhat, Assam.

Sqn Ldr Prashant Singh, Flt Lt Shubham Kumar, Sgt Jitendra Sharma, Agniveervayu Khemaram Kumawat and Agniveervayu Danish Alam made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty.

India joins elite club with successful ballistic missile defence, anti-ship missile trials

NEW DELHI, June 12: India's defence research establishment achieved a major milestone after successfully conducting three consecutive missile flight tests on June 10 and 11, demonstrating key technologies for ballistic missile defence and anti-ship warfare capabilities.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) said the trials showcased India's multi-layered defence architecture against long-range ballistic missile threats as well as its ability to engage hostile naval targets at medium range.

According to DRDO, the multi-layered Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) system successfully intercepted its designated targets during the tests. The interceptors engaged and destroyed incoming ballistic missile targets, validating technologies developed to counter emerging and advanced missile threats.

The reason why DRDO has accorded ballistic missile defence high priority is because Pakistan is developing long-range ballistic missiles such as Fateh-I, Fateh-II and the Chinese-origin P282, the sources said.

The successful demonstrations place India among a select group of countries possessing the capability to defend against ballistic missile attacks, including threats posed by long-range and intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), the organisation said.

In a separate milestone, DRDO also carried out the maiden flight test of the Naval Anti-Ship Missile-Medium Range (NASM-MR). The test demonstrated the missile's anti-ship capability at medium ranges, strengthening the Indian armed forces' maritime strike options.

The trials were witnessed by senior officials from DRDO and the Indian Armed Forces. Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and DRDO Chairman Rajesh Kumar Singh closely monitored the missions and praised the coordinated efforts of DRDO scientists, industry partners and the armed forces for successfully executing multiple complex tests within a span of 24 hours.

Defence minister Rajnath Singh congratulated DRDO on the successful demonstrations, saying the achievement would significantly strengthen India's defence preparedness and enhance its capability to counter a wide range of aerial and maritime threats.