Three Theatre Commands To Be Established Next Year As Armed Forces Reach Consensus; Proposal For Air Defence Command Discarded

The Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force have achieved a consensus on the establishment of theatre commands, the Times of India has reported.

According to the report, the revised plan entails the creation of three integrated theater commands, each headed by a senior three-star general, namely, a Lieutenant General, an Air Marshal, or a Vice Admiral.

These commands, the TOI report adds, will be responsible for overseeing the northern borders with China, the western front with Pakistan, and a maritime command in peninsular India.

The earlier proposal for an Air Defence Command (ADC) has been discarded following strong arguments from the Indian Air Force (IAF).

The IAF emphasized that a standalone ADC would be counterproductive since "air defence" and "offensive air" missions were interdependent and could not be carried out in isolation during conflicts.

Additionally, it was deemed operationally unwise to divide the limited air assets, especially considering that the force currently has just 31 fighter squadrons, despite being authorized for 42.

“All the three services are now onboard for the theatre commands. Air assets, for instance, will not be owned by a theatre command but will shift from one to another based on the contingency faced,” a source said.

The objective is to establish the three theatre commands by next year, the source quoted by the TOI added.

The process of creating unified commands had been put on hold following the tragic demise of the first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Bipin Rawat, in a helicopter crash in December 2021.

With General Anil Chauhan assuming the role of CDS in September last year, the government introduced the Inter-Services Organisations (Command, Control and Discipline) Bill in Parliament in March this year, encompassing both the existing tri-service organizations and the proposed theatre commands.

As part of the ongoing preparations, a group of 102 officers comprising 40 from the Army, 32 from the IAF, and 30 from the Navy, in the ranks of Majors and Lieutenant Colonels, have recently been cross-posted to other services.

“This cross-staffing has been done in areas of commonality in equipment like UAVs, BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles etc among the three Services,” the report quoted an officer as saying.

For instance, the IAF has assigned Squadron Leaders and Wing Commanders, including pilots, as well as personnel from logistics, engineering, and other divisions, to Army units and Navy warships.

Another significant move involves the introduction of "common annual confidential reports" for all two and three-star generals across the armed forces.

“This step to synergise the appraisal system for undertaking tri-Service appointments has been approved. Implementation will take three-four months,” another source quoted in the TOI report said.

The establishment of theatre commands and the associated initiatives aim to enhance synergy and coordination among the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force, enabling more effective management of national security challenges.