Navy officer to head tri-services Integrated Defence Staff

At a time when the Central government is moving closer towards appointing the new Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), a top Navy officer would be getting to head the important office of the tri-services -- Integrated Defence Staff (IDS) -- in the Defence Ministry.Once the CDS comes in, the existing tri-services IDS chief would be acting as the deputy of the CDS."The new IDS chief would be a Navy officer of the rank of Vice-Admiral. The existing officer-in-charge of the IDS Lieutenant General P Rajeshwar is now going to head the Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC) in Port Blair," defence sources told ANI.

The ANC is the only operational tri-services command in the defence forces and looks after the security of islands and territories there.The previous two officers to have held the post of IDS chief were from the Army including incumbent Lieutenant General Rajeshwar and his predecessor Lieutenant General Satish Dua.

Earlier, the tri-services organisations like the IDS, Strategic Forces Command and the ANC were headed by three services' officers on a rotation basis but the pattern had changed in the last few years.The new office of the CDS is to be created soon as the government has already appointed a committee headed by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval to prepare the basic structure and responsibilities for the post.The appointment for both Army Chief and CDS is likely to be made anytime.