Jointness, key differences emerge on theatre commands at Tri-Service meet

MHOW: The jointness versus theatre commands debate between India’s military forces was the centre of discussion at Ran Samwad-2025, the first tri-service war seminar on war, warfare and warfighting that ended on Wednesday at the Army War College in Mohw. While all three service chiefs remained firm in their support for greater integration, subtle differences arose regarding the speed and method of the suggested changes.

Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan admitted the main task for him had been to bring jointness among the Army, Navy and Air Force. Recalling the advances made, he stated that despite disparity, discussions between the three services take place in a positive atmosphere. “As a CDS, I set out to bring jointness among the three services.” And now, I can happily and proudly say that we can discuss our differences in a very favourable type of atmosphere,” he said.

Acknowledging that some steps towards integration ought to have been taken much earlier, the CDS acknowledged that delays had occurred.

“Sometimes, if you pose these types of questions, you find yourself realising that this integration ought to have been tried 10 years ago. We are a little behind schedule, but we must catch up quickly,” he said, assuring that attempts were being made to move the process forward.

Jointness, General Chauhan also insisted, should not be confined to the military alone. Coordination, he contended, was just as necessary with the intelligence agencies, Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), and other national security institutions. Reiterating the need for frank discussion, he underlined the necessity of listening to contrasting and even opposing opinions with forbearance. “There may be variations between the three services, yet still we can hear up to that point. That is very significant,” he said, and emphasised that even veterans, who tend to be protective of their service identities, were also starting to catch on with this attitude of openness.

Parallely, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi wholeheartedly supported theatre command reforms as the long-term objective for the Indian military. Although acknowledging that integration is a process, he insisted that the Navy had already made considerable efforts to synergise its operations with the Army and Air Force. “We are committed to synergising our command, control, communications, and combat capability with the Indian Army and Indian Air Force. Full stop. Period,” he asserted.

Admiral Tripathi added that integration starts with the human touch, citing the growing cross-posting of officers between services. “Today, I have an Army Aide-de-Camp with me, and my friend, the Air Chief, has a Naval Flag Lieutenant with him,” he said, terming such interactions a step in the right direction towards understanding each other.