India's top military brass deliberates on creation of joint command and control centres

New Delhi: India's top military commanders on Wednesday held extensive deliberations in Lucknow on the government's ambitious plans to create 'Integrated Theatre Commands' and reviewed overall national security challenges including along the frontiers with China and Pakistan.

Chaired by Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan, chiefs of the Army, Navy and the Air Force, and other top military officials primarily focused on setting up of joint command and control centres and logistics nodes, on the inaugural day of the two-day maiden joint commanders conference, being held in Lucknow, officials said.

In his opening address, Gen Chauhan stressed the need for operational preparedness to meet emerging challenges, underscoring the imperative need of modernisation to stay ready and relevant and achieve strategic autonomy.

The theme of the maiden joint commanders' conference is 'Sashakt and Surakshit Bharat: Transforming Armed Forces.' The deliberations on ensuring synergy among the armed forces on various aspects including financial planning, joint logistics infrastructure are taking place amid the government's ambitious plans to roll out theatre commands.

Under the theaterisation model, the government seeks to integrate the capabilities of the army, air force and navy and optimally utilise their resources for wars and operations.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will address the apex-level military leadership at the conference on Thursday.

"The conference is focused on shaping the future of India's military to adapt to the changing operational milieu," the defence ministry said.

Reviewing the current security situation and the defence preparedness of the armed forces, Gen Chauhan emphasised the importance of jointness and future planning for enhancing integration across various domains.

The Chief of Defence Staff said jointness among the three services is crucial for adapting to the contours of future warfare and conduct of "effect-based operations", the ministry said in a statement.

Gen Anil Chauhan complimented the three services for initiating numerous measures along the roadmap for integration. He stressed that it was a step by step process, beginning with cross service co-operation leading to a 'joint culture' and finally achieving integration of forces for conduct of joint operations," it said.

The deliberations also focused on establishment of command and control centres with the requisite infrastructure to facilitate decision making.

Gen Chauhan stressed the need for operational preparedness to meet emerging challenges, underscoring the imperative need of modernisation to stay ready and relevant and achieve strategic autonomy, the ministry said.

Under the theaterisation model, the government seeks to integrate the capabilities of the army, air force and navy and optimally utilise their resources for wars and operations.

As per the theaterisation plan, each of the theatre commands will have units of the Army, the Navy and the Air Force and all of them will work as a single entity looking after security challenges in a specified geographical territory.

Officials said the top military brass also reviewed the security situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China, especially in eastern Ladakh sector where troops of India and China have been locked in an over four-year standoff.

The commanders also reviewed the security situation along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir.

Separately, Gen Chauhan is scheduled to chair an apex level tri-service financial conference on Thursday in Delhi.

The conference is aimed at enhancing cohesion and synergy on financial issues of the armed forces and will see the participation of senior officials from the defence ministry, controller general defence accounts, integrated financial advisers of the three services and Indian Coast Guard.