Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat will be visiting both Russia and the United States in the next few weeks, in what is being called a strategic balancing move. General Rawat is the senior-most Indian Armed Forces officer.
He will be in Russia towards the end of Exercise Peaceful Mission, the exercise involving Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) countries in south-western Russia. This is a counter-terror military exercise by the SCO and India is participating for the first time.
CDS Rawat will meet senior Russian defence officials during his visit. Almost immediately after returning, the CDS will be visiting the US at the invitation of General Mark Milley, Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Both Russia and the United States are close friends of India and while an army exercise with the Russians is ending, Exercise Malabar, involving the navies of the US, India, Japan, and Australia starts in the Bay of Bengal next month.
