New Delhi: Army Chief General Bipin Rawat on Monday appointed as India’s first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS). He will have the challenging task of synergizing operations of the Army, Air force and Navy to prepare them for future wars.

This appointment will effect from 31.12.2019 and until further orders, said government in a press statement. General Rawat, as tri-services chief, will be the single point military advisor to the government.

His main objective will be to reconstructure military commands by integrating land-air-sea operations of the three services to create new theatre commands for effective military response in case of hostilities.

He will be the principle military advisor to the Defence Minister on Tri-services issues. He will be a four-star general like chiefs of Army, Navy and Air force but will be “First among the equals”. The CDS will be the permanent chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee which has three service chiefs as members.