INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
NEW DELHI: The impending creation of joint theatre commands will combine the unique capabilities of the Army, Navy and IAF through
the most ambitious changes with far reaching implications attempted post-Independence
The start on this journey depends on the right steps being taken first towards jointness and integration
he said.Noting that international geopolitics is in a state of flux, the CDS said the national security strategy should aim to absorb the
changes in such a way that it meets the challenges and exploits the opportunities
tactics being the need of the hour, the armed forces are investing in new technologies to win engagements, and the ongoing integration in
concerns in what will be the most radical military reorganization since Independence, the groundwork is underway for three such joint
Then there will be the Maritime Theatre Command (MTC) for the Indian Ocean Region as well as the larger Indo-Pacific.While the theatre
commands will take some time to take their full shape, their forthcoming creation could be announced as early as August 15
Karwar in coastal Karnataka
The already huge strategic naval base at Karwar is being further expanded under Project Seabird, with the aim to make it the largest such
At present, India has as many as 17 single-Service commands (Army 7, IAF 7 and Navy 3), which have very little synergy in planning,
logistics and operations.Initially, the theatre commands are likely to be headed by senior three-star generals (Lt-Generals, Air Marshals or
Vice Admirals), with their age of retirement being extended to 61 from the existing 60
But eventually four-star generals of the same rank as the Service chiefs will head the joint commands.India currently has only two unified
Liberation Army into five theatre commands in early-2016 to boost offensive capabilities and establish better command-and-control structures
Its Western Theatre Command, for instance, handles the entire 3,488-km Line of Actual Control from eastern Ladakh to Arunachal Pradesh
India, in contrast, has four Army and three IAF commands for the northern borders with China.
