US shows incorrect India map while dropping 'Indo' from Pacific-Command
What's the story
The United States Department of War has announced a major change in the nomenclature of its military command. The US Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) will now revert to its original name, the US Pacific Command (USPACOM), dropping the word "Indo." The department also shared a map on its official website showing USPACOM's operational territory in the Indo-Pacific region. It shows the map of India without all of Jammu and Kashmir and shows PoK as Pakistani territory.
Twitter Post
View map here
Breaking: U.S. Indo-Pacific Command uses an incorrect map of India without all of Jammu and Kashmir and showing PoK as Pakistani territory pic.twitter.com/60MCwQuUW7
— Shashank Mattoo (@MattooShashank) June 17, 2026
Command legacy
Name change honors USINDOPACOM's 'deep historical roots'
The decision comes after eight years since the command was renamed by then-Defense Secretary Jim Mattis in 2018 to reflect the growing strategic importance of the Indian Ocean region. The Department of War said the name change honors USPACOM's "deep historical roots" and is aimed at instilling pride among its personnel. However, officials clarified that this change does not affect the command's operational role or geographic scope.
Strategic impact
One of the oldest unified combatant commands
Established on January 1, 1947, under President Harry S Truman, USPACOM is one of the oldest and largest unified combatant commands in the US military system. The command has played a key role in shaping post-World War II security arrangements across Asia and coordinating joint military operations during major conflicts such as the Korean War and Vietnam War.
Name change
Shift in focus from Pacific to Indian Ocean
The 2018 renaming to Indo-Pacific Command was seen as Washington's acknowledgment of the increasing interconnectedness between the Indian Ocean and Pacific security dynamics. The command became a key institutional channel for expanding defense cooperation with the US, particularly through joint exercises and maritime coordination. The command stretches "from Bollywood to Hollywood and from penguins to polar bears" and plays an important part in America's National Defense Strategy, Mattis said at the time.
Domestic response
Concern expressed by Indian politicians, especially Tharoor
The name change has also sparked political reactions in India. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor took to social media to express his concerns, asking if this was "One more nail in the coffin of the Quad?" The command is headquartered in Hawaii and oversees strategic zones in the Pacific Ocean, much of the Indian Ocean, East Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia, and parts of South Asia.