Who will be next Chiefs of Indian Army and Air Force

New Delhi: Suspense is on over who will be the next Chiefs of the Army and the Air Force as the incumbent officials will be superannuating just about three weeks later.

Both the Army Chief Gen Dalbir Singh Suhag and the Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha are retiring on December 31 and the guessing game is on as to who will succeed them.

Traditionally, the name of the new Chiefs are announced weeks in advance but it has not been the case this time.

Even the current Navy Chief's name was announced just 23 days before Admiral Robin Dhowan retired.

Sources said one of the reasons for the delay in the announcement of the new chiefs could be that Parliament is in session which would end on December 16.

The Defence Ministry has already sent the file to Prime Minister's Office recommending three names each for the two Services. They are Eastern Army Commander Lt Gen Praveen Bakshi, Southern Army Commander Lt Gen P M Hariz and Vice Chief of the Army Lt Gen Bipin Rawat, sources said.

Lt Gen Bakshi, under whose tenure the Myanmar anti- insurgency operation was carried out, is the senior most of the Commanders.

Speculation is that the government may appoint someone based not on seniority alone but also experience in handling Kashmir and Pakistan, two issues which will continue to be the focus in the next two years.

While Lt Gen Bakshi is from the Armoured Corps, Lt Gen Hariz is from Mechanised Infantry and Lt Gen Rawat is an outright infantry soldier.