Contours of joint theatre commands ready

Subject : Science and Tech

Section: Defence

Context: The Armed Forces have narrowed down the final contours of the integrated theatre commands

More about the news:

The Armed Forces in India have made significant progress in defining integrated theatre commands, which aim to combine Army, Navy, and Air Force resources.
These theatre commands are awaiting government approval and may involve a national defense committee, potentially led by the Defense Minister.
They aim to enhance jointness among the services and may result in the appointment of a Vice CDS and a Deputy CDS.
Three theatre commands focused on Pakistan, China, and maritime threats are in the works, with the possibility of a fourth command for tri-service agencies in the future.
The structure is nearly final, but human resource matters are still under discussion.
The HQIDS is expected to come under the CDS, and existing tri-service agencies are also being considered for integration into theatre commands.
The focus is on promoting jointness in intelligence, logistics, training, and infrastructure, among other areas.
This represents a significant military reform and has been in discussion for three years.
The specific service leadership for each theatre command is yet to be determined, and previous air defense command plans faced objections from the IAF.

Some facts about theatre commands and India:

The Kargil Review Committee, the Naresh Chandra Committee and the Group of Ministers had called for structural changes in higher defence management.
It was the Shekatkar committee, which had recommended the creation of the post of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and theatre commands.
The Inter-Services Organisation (Command, Control and Discipline) Bill, 2023, a key prerequisite for theatre commands, got parliamentary approval in August 2023.
At present, India has 17 single service commands and only two tri-service commands.
The 17 single service commands are divided as:
- Army – 7 commands; Airforce – 7 commands; Navy – 3 commands
The two tri-service commands are: Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC), and The Strategic Force Command (Handles the nuclear weapons).