Rahul Singh
rahul.singh@hindustantimes.com
New Delhi : India’s first chief of defence staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat on Wednesday said he would work towards creating theatre commands to prepare the military for future battles, adding that India’s armed forces need not necessarily imitate the models devised by western militaries for this. The three services are not in agreement on theaterisation.
General Rawat’s first public comments after taking over came on the day Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the appointment of the CDS was a “momentous and comprehensive reform” that would help India face challenges of modern warfare and that the position carried the “tremendous responsibility of modernising our military forces”.
Theaterisation refers to placing specific units of the army, the navy and the air force under a Theatre Commander. Such commands will come under the operational control of an officer from any of the three services, depending on the function assigned to that command. Experts believe that theatres are key to the way battles will be fought in the future.
“I think there are methods of doing theaterisation. I think we all are copying Western methods and what others have done. We can have our own system. We will work out a mechanism. We have to study and work with the three services to come out with a mechanism that suits the Indian system,” Rawat said, responding to a question from HT on the Indian Air Force’s traditional resistance to theaterisation.
In April 2018, then IAF chief Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa disapproved of the concept of theatre commands, saying it would require the creation of more assets. “Compartmentalising will require more assets. We believe in one country, one theatre,” he said, pointing out the pitfalls of cherry picking concepts of western warfighting. Two former IAF chiefs HT spoke to also opposed the idea of theaterisation.
As CDS, Rawat’s mandate includes facilitating the restructuring of military commands for optimal utilisation of resources by bringing about so-called jointness in operations, including through establishment of theatre commands.
IAF chief Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria said the appointment of a CDS was a “big and bold” step. He said the onus was now on the three services to fully support the CDS and make the model succeed.
The government expects the CDS to bring about jointness among the three services in operations, logistics, transport, training, support services, communications, repairs and maintenance within three years. Rawat said the objective could be achieved in the time-frame laid down by the government.
“I want to assure you, that the army, the navy and the air force will work as a team. The CDS will keep control over them, but action will be taken through teamwork,” he said, adding that he would be impartial in his new role.