Indian Armed Forces To Shift To Integrated Theatre Commands

May 24, 2024

Since 2019, the Indian government has taken big steps to reorganize its military to make operations run more smoothly by suggesting the creation of integrated theatre commands. The goal of this plan is to bring the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force together under one set of commands so that military operations can be coordinated based on common threats and battle zones.

What are Theatre Commands?

When theatre commands are used, certain units from all three defence forces work together under one commander. This integration makes it easier to organize operations during conflicts, making the best use of people and resources and directing the military’s efforts toward clear strategic goals in particular operational areas.

Steps Towards Integration

Setting up the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and the Department of Military Affairs (DMA) in 2019 was the first step toward a more unified defence organization. These were very important for keeping an eye on the change to theatre-based orders. The Indian Armed Forces started small-scale integrations over time, like setting up joint supply nodes and thinking of Mumbai as a single tri-service defence station.

Proposed Theatre Commands and Their Headquarters Locations

According to the most recent military drafts, which came out in January 2023, three main theatre commanders focus on enemies:

The Western Theatre Command, which could be based in Jaipur, to deal with risks from Pakistan.
The Northern Theatre Command is based in Lucknow and is in charge of the border with China.
A suggested Maritime Theatre Command in Coimbatore would be in charge of the Indian Ocean Region.

More ideas are being thought about for an Air Defence Command and other ideas, but final choices and agreement are still needed.

Leadership and Command Management

Each of the planned theatre commands would be led by a commander with the rank of General or a higher rank. Most likely, these leaders would answer to the Defence Minister, who is in charge of the National Defence Committee. This structure is meant to help the military work together as a single unit, making it easier to handle operations and distribute resources across all of the forces. The Indian military is being reorganized into integrated theatre commands. This is a big step toward a more unified and streamlined defence stance that fits current threat landscapes and operational needs, but it hasn’t been approved by the government yet.

More About Integrated Theatre Commands

Integrated Theatre Commands bring together resources from all of India’s military forces to make operations run more smoothly. Taking ideas from the U.S. and China, India started these to make things run more smoothly after the 1999 Kargil war, which showed how inefficient things were. The real work on the plan began when General Bipin Rawat was Chief of Defence Staff (2020). Some of the features are unified command and control, better logistics, and divided theatres like Northern, Western, Eastern, Southern, and Air Defence Command, each meant to meet specific strategic needs. This system encourages working together, makes sure that the right amount of force is used, cuts down on unnecessary tasks, and makes defence spending more cost-effective. With the planned Maritime Theatre Command, India’s maritime interests will be safe.

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