He succeeded Brezhnev in 1982
The 
Soviet awards, which he had himself to authorise as head of state, included a .... 
that Andropov had succeeded Brezhnev as chairman of the Defence Council,... [DOC] [TLE] Brezhnev Era (1964-1982) [PAR] When chosen by his comrades to succeed Khrushchev as Party leader, he was 
58 years old.