NEW DELHI: Indian Army Chief Gen Upendra Dwivedi has provided the first official update on the creation of integrated theatre commands for the Indian Armed Forces, stating that the plan has reached a “mature” stage and is ready to be presented to the government for decision-making.
Speaking at the annual Col Pyara Lal Memorial Lecture at the United Services Institution (USI) in New Delhi, General Dwivedi highlighted the progress made toward establishing these commands.
The Army Chief mentioned that there is significant consensus among the three service Chiefs and the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) on the plan. “We have been able to devise a complete structure and plan nearly everything. I think now it’s at a mature stage to be presented to our decision-makers,” he said.
Theatre commands, which aim to streamline and integrate the operations of the Army, Navy, and Air Force, are being designed with India’s unique security conditions in mind. General Dwivedi explained that the commands are meant to address both short-term threats and long-term challenges. He also noted that the existing threat spectrum necessitates an integrated response from the armed forces.
The Army Chief outlined the progress made so far, including the establishment of joint logistics nodes, with three already fully operational. He emphasised advancements in joint doctrines, standard operating procedures, and the creation of maintenance and repair organisations. “We have made great progress on joint doctrines and standard operating procedures,” he added.
According to General Dwivedi, around 200 issues related to jointness between the forces have been identified, and approximately 30 per cent of them have already been addressed. A common operational planning process is also in the works, incorporating wargames, communication technology, common digital maps, geo-referencing systems and the aggregation of UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles). Intelligence-gathering resources are being harmonised to support integrated operations.