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Air Marshal PV Shivanand takes over as South Western Air Command chief
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Air Marshal Shivanand has a cumulative flying experience of 2,800 hours on MiG-21 and the IL-76 AWACS. (Express Photo)AIR MARSHAL P V Shivanand assumed charge as Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, South Western Air Command (SWAC), headquartered in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, on Wednesday. Commissioned into the Fighter stream of the Indian Air Force in December 1988, Shivanand was previously the Senior Air Staff Officer at HQ Central Air Command, a statement said. Air Marshal Shivanand has a cumulative flying experience of 2,800 hours on MiG-21 and the IL-76 AWACS. He has spearheaded the operationalisation of key platforms and several Air Defence initiatives. The SWAC operates over the entire western region across Gujarat Rajasthan and parts of Maharashtra. .The AOC-in-C of SWAC, a three-star rank officer, is the seniormost military commander stationed in Gujarat. The Army and Navy have two-star officers, a Major General and Rear Admiral, stationed in Gujarat. Meanwhile, his predecessor at SWAC, Air Marshal Tejinder Singh, took over as the Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to the Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee (CISC), said the statement. Singh’s appointment as head of the Integrated Defence Staff broke a streak of SWAC chiefs going on to be appointed Vice Chiefs of Air Staff (VCAS) of the Indian Air Force (IAF). Singh’s immediate predecessor at SWAC, Air Marshal Nagesh Kapoor had been the second consecutive SWAC chief to be appointed Vice Chief of Air Staff (VCAS) – the 50th – in January 2026. Kapoor’s immediate predecessor at SWAC, Air Marshal Narmdeshwar Tiwari, also went on to serve as the 49th Vice Chief of the IAF.
New DelhiJul 1, 2026 09:27 PM IST General Dhiraj Seth underlined the need to take forward the modernisation of the Army. (File Photo)Assuming charge as the 31st Chief of Army Staff on Wednesday, General Dhiraj Seth underlined the need to take forward the modernisation of the Army with “renewed energy and firm resolve to respond effectively to the evolving security environment.” He said the aim is to build a technology-enabled, future-ready Army “which is fully empowered and capable of operating across multiple domains.”Stating that the Indian Army is a combat-ready and battle-hardened force, fully prepared and capable of meeting every challenge in the operational domain, he listed his focus areas in the acronym ‘VIJAY’, of which ‘V’ stands for Vigilance along borders and against emerging threats. Gen Seth said that ‘I’ stands for Innovation and Transformation and that his focus will be on innovation in both doctrine and technological solutions. “Innovation will remain an integral part of our thinking, our systems and our capability development. At the same time, necessary transformations will be undertaken in keeping with the changing character of warfare,” he said. ‘J’ stands for Jointness and Integration, Gen Seth said, adding that to enhance the operational effectiveness of the Indian Army, “we will maintain complete synergy and coordination with the Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy”. He said, “I fully recognise that national security is not limited to military strength alone. It requires military-civil fusion and a whole-of-nation approach. This integrated approach will also enable us to contribute meaningfully to nation building and to the goal of Viksit Bharat 2047.” He further said that ‘A’ stands for Atmanirbharta and, with indigenous capabilities and technologies developed within the country, there is a need to build a self-reliant Army.Story continues below this ad He said the overall aim will be: “To win our wars with indigenous solutions.” Lastly, he said ‘Y’ stands for Yodha First, adding that from the Agniveer to the senior-most veteran, each army personnel is a yodha (fighter). “These yodhas are the greatest strength of our Army. Enhancing the technological threshold and training standards of our soldiers will be among my foremost priorities. Our veterans and Veer Naris are an integral part of the Army family, and their welfare, empowerment and professional growth will remain extremely important to me,” he said. “I assure every citizen of the country that the Indian Army is, and will always remain, fully prepared to protect the sovereignty, territorial integrity and national interests of our nation,” Gen Seth said in his address.Story continues below this ad He said that he firmly believes that the mantra of ‘JAI’, given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the Armed Forces, forms the foundation of his priorities under the acronym ‘VIJAY’. JAI stands for Jointness, Atmanirbharta (Self-reliance), and Innovation. Amrita Nayak Dutta writes on defence and national security as part of the national bureau of The Indian Express. In the past, Amrita has extensively reported on the media industry and broadcasting matters, urban affairs, bureaucracy and government policies. In the last 14 years of her career, she has worked in newspapers as well as in the online media space and is well versed with the functioning of both newsrooms. Amrita has worked in the northeast, Mumbai and Delhi. She has travelled extensively across the country, including in far-flung border areas, to bring detailed reports from the ground and has written investigative reports on media and defence. She has been working for The Indian Express since January 2023. ... Read More
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