Military: Integrated Theatre Commands
N K Tripathi
Operation Sindoor has drawn the attention of the nation to its armed forces. This operation resulted into a four day war against Pakistan. India successfully destroyed the important terror bases all over Pakistan. India defended well the Pakistani air attacks and destroyed their important air bases, forcing Pakistan for ceasefire. Air Force played the pivotal role in this very short war. However, for future wars, we should speed up our preparedness by completing the process of formation of three integrated theatre commands.
Theatre commands, where the Army, Navy and Airforce operate under a single commander for a specific front, offer enhanced operational efficiency, faster decision-making, and optimized resource utilization compared to separate service-specific commands. At present there are 17 single service commands — 7 of the Army, 7 of the Air Force and 3 of the Navy. Each of these commands is located at a separate base. Multiple commands waste many assets and resources and make quick coordination and decision making difficult. The unified theatre structure streamlines coordination, reduces duplication of effort, and allows for a more cohesive and effective response to threats.
Major powers like the US, China, and Russia, along with others such as the UK, France, and Germany, have implemented the integrated command structures. In 2016, India started conceiving the idea of theatre commands. Lt General Shekatkar Committee recommended the creation of three integrated theatre commands. India is currently in the process of forming Integrated Theatre Command. The creation of the post of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) in January 2020 was seen as a major push for the indigenous joint warfare and theaterisation process of the Indian Armed Forces.
Last year, defence ministry has identified Jaipur as the base for Western command for Pakistan border. Lucknow was identified as base for Northern command to look after all border with China. Thiruvananthapuram has been chosen as the base for Maritime integrated command to look after maritime defence.
Merging present 17 commands into three theatre commands is a difficult and complicated work. The biggest hurdle is the turf war amongst the Army, Air Force and Navy. India must swiftly overcome these hurdles to reorganise a very strong defence force. We also need to increase our defence budget substantially and spend much more money on acquiring equipments, especially from indigenous industry. India is now a mature country and has learnt that lofty ideals, diplomacy and soft power are no substitute for a powerful defence structure.
