Editorial: Build consensus on theatre commands

Modern wars warrant better coordination among land, sea, and air assets, as well as newer platforms such as UAVs

Billed as the biggest military reform in independent India, the proposed creation of integrated theatre commands still eludes consensus. The plan to replace single-service commands with four theatre commands has hit an air pocket, with the Indian Air Force (IAF) still showing reluctance. The integrated military theatres, crucial to fighting future wars, seek to synergise the capabilities of the three services — Army, Air Force, and Navy — and optimally utilise their resources for wars and operations. Such commands are expected to come under the operational control of an officer from any of the three services, depending on the function assigned. However, divergent views were expressed within the defence services leadership over the structure of the theatre commands during a recent tri-service seminar held in Madhya Pradesh. Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan has to address any dissonance within the services on the issue. The final structure of the proposed theatre commands is yet to be greenlighted by the government. The exercise is part of the proposed defence sector reforms in line with the changing nature of modern warfare. There is a strong argument that theatre commands will ensure integration among the three services, paving the way for them to fight future wars jointly, instead of individually, and without adequate coordination. Modern wars have become increasingly multi-domain in nature and warrant better coordination among land, sea, and air assets, as well as newer platforms such as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and high-precision strike weapons, and domains like cyber and space.

In the event of a future conflict involving drone and high-precision missile attacks combined with cyber-attacks and land wars, the services would benefit by coordinating their planning and integrating their assets under a single command and control structure. The Indian military has 17 single-service commands across the country — the Army and Air Force have seven each, and the Navy has three commands. The Andaman and Nicobar command, based in Port Blair, is the sole tri-service command. Sharp differences have emerged — the Army and Navy are in favour of the theaterisation model, but the Air Force has concerns over the division of its air assets and the nomenclature and leadership of the commands. There are also concerns about the reduction of the powers of the Chiefs of Staff. Essentially, the cause of the deadlock boils down to turf issues. The inter-services competition, though desirable to a reasonable extent, should not be allowed to become the reason for hampering a key reform measure. There is a need to remove the impasse and adopt a more holistic approach, with the involvement of Parliament and relevant ministries. A public clash of ideas must be avoided at all costs. After the appointment of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), the next logical move in military reforms would be to put in place integrated theatre commands.

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