First Indian Army Chief in a Decade to Visit Czech Republic; What It Means for Defence

Indian Army Chief Czech Visit: Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Dhiraj Seth will embark on an official visit to the Czech Republic from November 16 to 19, marking the first trip to the Central European nation by a sitting Indian Army Chief in 10 years. The four-day visit ends a decade-long gap in Chief of the Army Staff-level bilateral exchanges with Prague, with the last Indian Army Chief to travel to the Czech Republic being General Dalbir Singh Suhag, who paid an official visit from September 11 to 16, 2016.

According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Defence on Sunday, Gen Seth’s visit is aimed at strengthening bilateral defence cooperation, enhancing military-to-military engagement, and exploring opportunities for collaboration in defence technology and industry. Officials noted that the trip reflects a "shared commitment" between India and the Czech Republic to deepen defence ties through sustained military dialogue, professional exchanges, and industrial partnerships.

Reviving High-Level Military Diplomacy Since CDS Gen Rawat’s 2021 Visit

While bilateral Army Chief visits have been on pause since 2016, India’s highest-ranking uniformed engagement with Prague in the intervening decade took place in November 2021, when the late Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat undertook a working visit to the Czech Republic from November 3 to 5, 2021.

During that landmark trip—just a month before his tragic demise in a helicopter crash—Gen Rawat held wide-ranging talks in Prague with then-Chief of the General Staff of the Czech Armed Forces General Aleš Opata, Foreign Minister Jakub Kulhánek, and Deputy Minister of Defence Policy and Strategy Jan Havránek. Although Gen Rawat’s 2021 outreach generated significant momentum for expanding bilateral security cooperation, sustained follow-up at the service-chief level remained pending. Gen Seth’s arrival in Prague this week effectively picks up that institutional thread, elevating Army-to-Army engagement back to the top brass.

Balancing European Outreach

The Prague visit also underscores a calibrated European military diplomacy push by Gen Seth since assuming office as the 31st Chief of the Army Staff on June 30, 2026. Just two months ago, from September 16 to 18, 2026, Gen Seth travelled to Russia to reinforce traditional defence cooperation and Army-to-Army ties with Moscow. By following his Moscow itinerary with a four-day engagement in a key Central European NATO and European Union member state, New Delhi continues to demonstrate its multi-aligned strategic outreach across Europe.

Key Engagements in Prague, Brno, and Vyškov

During his stay between November 16 and 19, Gen Seth will hold formal discussions with senior Czech military leadership at the General Staff Headquarters (GSHQ) in Prague, including Lieutenant General Petr Čepelka, First Deputy Chief of the General Staff and Deputy Chief of Defence. He will also lay a wreath at the GSHQ to pay tribute to fallen soldiers and call on senior officials of the Czech Ministry of Defence to discuss training, force modernisation, and emerging security challenges.

Beyond Prague, Gen Seth’s itinerary includes two key institutional stops:

• Academic & Doctrinal Exchange: A visit to the University of Defence in Brno to gain insights into specialised officer training and future military readiness.

• NATO Institutional Engagement: A tour of the NATO Joint Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Defence Centre of Excellence in Vyškov, focusing on operational capabilities against non-conventional threats.

On the defence-industrial front, the Army Chief is scheduled to interact with representatives of the Czech Inter-Governmental Defence Cooperation Agency (AMOS), the Defence and Security Industry Association, and leading Czech defence manufacturers to explore co-development and technology partnerships.