Theatre command blueprint ready, Rajnath Singh to be briefed

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 28

A blueprint on operational framework of the proposed theatre commands for the armed forces is ready, and will be shared with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in the first week of September.

The minister will address the Joint Commanders’ Conference at Lucknow next week, where the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen Anil Chauhan, and the Chiefs of the Army, Navy and IAF would be present, along with all the Commanders.

The minister will be given a detailed presentation on contours of the operational aspects of the planned integration. This would include how an integrated command — also referred to as a theatre command — would function in peace and conflict and maintain battle-readiness, sources said.

The post of the CDS, created in 2019, is tasked to promote ‘jointness and integration’ and modify the structures of the three services to enable joint operations. This is seen as the single biggest change to the form and shape of the country’s war-fighting structure. It entails having a single commander leading the men and officers from the three armed forces.

In September last year, the previous suggestions were asked to be tweaked. The CDS had again sought inputs, which have since been collated and dove-tailed into the new architecture to be presented to Rajnath Singh.

Since September last year, a set of fresh combinations and permutations have been studied by the Department of Military Affairs (DMA). The CDS also heads the DMA.

The new inputs include a fresh geographical and operational definition to the limits of the proposed theatre commands. A formula to integrate existing logistics, maintenance, training and supply lines of the armed forces is also in the works.

The DMA had originally arrived at an understanding on having three such theatre commands — one each for the northern and western front, and the third for maritime domain. The armed forces and the DMA have now suggested more such commands. Once an outline of the structure is done, and the government approves the concept, the theatre commands will be allocated resources, assets and manpower. A theatre commander controls all war assets of a defined area. At present, the Army, IAF and Navy have separate war-fighting assets. The Ministry of Defence, in May this year, notified an Act that provides disciplinary powers to the Commander heading tri-services organisations, like theatre commands.