India's theater command plan nears approval: what changes for military
What's the story
India's long-pending plan to reorganize its armed forces into integrated theater commands is in the spotlight again. Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General NS Raja Subramani will soon present the military's theaterization strategy to Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, Hindustan Times reported. The presentation will take place after Kargil Vijay Diwas later in July, NDTV reported. If approved, this reform would drastically change how the Army, Navy, and Air Force prepare for and conduct warfare.
Command overhaul
Current structure of armed forces
Currently, India's three armed services operate through 17 separate operational commands. The Army has seven, the Air Force has seven, and the Navy has three.
Each service operates under its own chain of command and planning process.
The proposed theater command system would replace this structure with a single commander overseeing all military assets in a specific geographical area or operational domain.
Strategic focus
Proposed theater commands and their objectives
The proposal, which has been under discussion since 2022, aims to establish three major theater commands: Northern Command (China), Western Command (Pakistan), and Maritime Command (Andaman and Nicobar Island).
The proposals reportedly suggest creating three integrated theater commands: Northern Theatre Command for the China border, Western Theatre Command for the Pakistan front, and Maritime Theatre Command for the Indian Ocean Region.
Each theater command will be led by a four-star commander, placing the commander on par with the existing service chiefs.
According to NDTV, this structure has taken considerable internal negotiation because it essentially creates new tier of top military leadership alongside the Army, Navy, and Air Force chiefs.
International examples
Global military trends and India's position
The proposed reform in India is in line with global military trends. The United States has unified combatant commands for different regions, while China reorganized its military into five theater commands in 2016.
Although India has two existing tri-service commands, the Andaman and Nicobar Command and Strategic Forces Command, the proposed reform would extend integration across conventional military operations.
Implementation hurdles
Challenges in implementing theater command structure and progress made
Implementing the theater command structure has been challenging due to fundamental changes required in India's military operations.
In the new structure, they will have no operational role and will only be responsible for training and sustenance. Theater commanders would directly take instructions from the defense minister during wartime.
The military-civilian bureaucracy is also wary of creating more four-star officer posts, who will hold the same rank of ex-officio cabinet secretary as the service chiefs, Hindustan Times reported.