Creation of Maritime Theatre Commands: CDS General Anil Chauhan engages top military commanders

Discussion on Maritime threats

Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan held discussions with senior military commanders from the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force on Tuesday. This meeting involved commanders stationed in the peninsular and island territories of India. The objective was to chart the creation of three Maritime Theatre Commands to address threats in the maritime domain.

Top government sources revealed that CDS General Chauhan engaged with senior Military Commanders, including those from the Andaman and Nicobar Command, Southern Air and Naval Commands, and the Navy's Western and Eastern Commands. The focus was on shaping the future structures and responsibilities of the Maritime Theatre Command aimed at tackling threats from this domain.

This meeting follows a previous engagement where CDS General Chauhan met military commanders responsible for securing India's borders with China. The CDS is working intensively to bolster integration and jointness among the armed forces. This initiative aims to establish three new Theatre Commands to address threats from the Northern front, the Western front, and the Maritime domain.

Objective of the Chief of Defence Staff Office

The Chief of Defence Staff office was established over three years ago to enhance jointness and integration within the defence forces, enabling a more robust approach to dealing with adversaries' threats. This approach encompasses capabilities in both the Cyber and Space domains.

The Department of Military Affairs (DMA) has been deliberating over key aspects, including whether the heads of these new formations should be three-star or four-star generals. The prevailing sentiment favors appointing four-star officers to lead these formations. This approach ensures proper command and control structures and mitigates issues related to seniority, considering that Theatre Commanders would oversee several Commander-in-Chief rank officers.

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Integration and Common Rules

CDS General Chauhan, in collaboration with the service chiefs, is also examining integration issues and establishing common rules for disciplines such as intelligence gathering and operations. The initiative extends to integrating intelligence gathering, a common operations directorate, training, maintenance, and logistics.The creation of new formations is anticipated to yield significant savings. The rise of centralized Tri-Services Commands is expected to optimize existing formations at the Services Headquarters' level.

Efforts to foster Tri-Services culture

Leadership from different branches of the armed forces is actively promoting a Tri-Services culture. This effort includes visits by Air Force and Navy Chiefs to relevant institutions and engagements with senior Joint Commissioned Officers (JCOs) of the Three Services.

The discussions led by CDS General Anil Chauhan with top military commanders mark a significant stride towards the creation of Maritime Theatre Commands. These efforts underline India's commitment to enhancing jointness and preparedness across various domains. As integration, leadership structure, and command mechanisms evolve, the Indian defence forces are gearing up to tackle multifaceted challenges, including those arising from the maritime environment.

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