Theatre commands

THEATRE commands, envisaging one commander for a specific geographical area, are a much-awaited and discussed reform in the Indian military. More than three years after the post of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) was created, the armed forces have little to show in terms of integration. Not even the basics — logistics, transportation and support services — are integrated. The ultimate aim of an integrated and unified force under a single ‘theatre commander’ seems to be a distant dream. For decades, the Army, the IAF and the Navy have grown as separate verticals with sparse horizontal links, resulting in separate operations, weapon procurement, maintenance, transport, training, support services, logistics, communication networks and human resource policies. It has amounted to triplication of expenses and effort. The armed forces operate with separate strategies under separate commanders at each regional command — there are 18 in all. The only operational unified command is at Andaman and Nicobar Islands, where the assets of the Army, Navy and Air Force are placed under a Lt General-rank officer.

A seamless integration between different branches of the armed forces is the goal set by the government. Indian forces are structured around the traditional land-air-sea silos. Modern warfare demands a combination of land, air and sea capabilities as well as intelligence, cyber and space assets. A major challenge for integration includes reorganisation of existing command structures or even redesigning of the entire system.

Far-reaching ideas are required for effecting structural changes to overcome operational challenges, achieve coordination among the triservices and have interoperability to manage logistics. The government has now asked the CDS to have a ‘bottom-up’ approach to first start integrating logistics, support systems, transport and communication before moving on to actual integration of the forces. In 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had stated that ‘modernisation and expansion of forces at the same time is a difficult goal’. In 2018, while addressing the combined commanders’ conference, he asked the forces to bring about integration and jointness in operations. The forces need to show intent and break the silos to create joint forces, as the US and China have done.