CDS General Anil Chauhan meets Army, Navy, Air Force Chiefs to discuss Maritime Theatre Command
CDS Reviews Maritime Command Plans with Army, Navy, Air Force Chiefs, Comes Weeks After Similar Meeting with China Border Commanders
Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan recently chaired a crucial meeting with senior commanders from the Army, Navy and Air Force to discuss plans regarding the proposed Maritime Theatre Command.
The high-level meeting was attended by officials from commands overseeing India’s islands and peninsular regions including the Andaman & Nicobar Command, Southern Naval Command, Southern Air Command and others. It comes just weeks after General Chauhan held similar discussions with top commanders responsible for securing the border with China.
As CDS, General Chauhan is focused on enhancing jointness across the three services to enable the establishment of three new theatre commands for India’s northern, western and maritime borders.
The maritime command will play a pivotal role in dealing with security challenges across the Indian Ocean region and Pacific Ocean. The meeting follows the recent passage of the Inter-Services Organisations (ISO) Bill in Parliament, which aims to provide theatre commanders the authority for administrative and disciplinary control over personnel from different services under their command.
There is also debate around whether the theatre commanders should be three or four-star officers. According to some experts, having four-star officers may help mitigate seniority conflicts and establish a clearer chain of command.
As part of ongoing military reforms, the CDS office is examining the integration of intelligence, operations, training and logistics between the Army, Navy and Air Force. Studies have been ordered to formulate common regulations pertaining to discipline, intelligence gathering and operations.
The new theatre commands are expected to optimize and streamline the existing structures at respective Service headquarters. The chiefs have also been taking initiatives to promote jointness, including cross-postings of officers and visits to each other’s training institutes.
Efforts are ongoing to build consensus among the three chiefs on key policies related to the theatre commands. Joint planning, acquisition and maintenance of assets has already begun and will be expanded further.
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