Defense Ministry directs forces to submit studies on Theatre Command by April 2022: Report

In the latest development in the creation of theatre command, the Department of Military Affairs (DMA) under the Defence Ministry has asked the three services to conduct studies on the structures of the new formations and submit their reports by April next year (2022). As per the ANI report, a high-level meeting was chaired by the Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat on November 1 in which three services chiefs along with the officers were nominated to conduct the studies.

As per the report, the Indian Army nominated Central Army commander Lt Gen YK Dimri along with South Western Army commander Lt Gen Amardeep Singh Bhinder to conduct the study for the creation of these commands.It further stated that the plan of the DMA is to create four new theatre commands which will not include the most sensitive Ladakh sector which has seen two aggressions by the armies of Pakistan and China respectively in the last two decades.

The meeting was also attended by Vice Admiral Anil Chawla who had earlier also done the study for the creation of the Maritime Theatre Command. The report further stated that the issue had become slightly controversial after the Indian Air Force expressed reservations on the way the theatre commands were being created and the way these commands were to be created. The Indian Air Force has not yet nominated any officer for conducting the study as per the new instructions issued by the DMA.

Following the completion of their respective studies, four to five officers would be asked to start working for testing the structures and how they would be made integrated with all elements.

CDS General Bipin Rawat & Theatre Command

As per the PTI report, Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat has been working on the theaterisation model under which at least six new integrated commands are being envisaged. The theatre commands are being set up under a larger mandate of ensuring synergy among the three service chiefs to deal with future security challenges.

The CDS had also visited the Northern American Aerospace Defence command during his recent US visit and important notes were taken by the delegation on how this would help the Indian system. The creation of theatre commands has been envisaged by the government for enhancing jointness among forces for warfighting.

Gen Rawat took over as India's first CDS on January 1, 2020, with a mandate to bring in convergence among the three services and restructure military commands to effectively deal with future security challenges. 

The theatre command would ensure the complete integration of the three services, i.e. Army, Navy, and Airforce, and would additionally integrate their assets. Presently three services operate under their own independent commands — the Army, the Navy, and the Air Force. 

(With inputs from ANI)

(Image: ANI)