Why in news?

The Armed Forces are planning to turn Mumbai into the first tri-service common defence station in the country for the Army, Navy and the Indian Air Force (IAF).

This step aimed at achieving jointness among the three services ahead of the creation of integrated theatre commands.

What’s in today’s article?

• Theaterisation of Armed Forces
• Theatre commands and India
• Current command structure in India
• Recent steps taken by India towards theaterisation

Theaterisation of Armed Forces

• It is a concept which seeks to integrate the capabilities of the three services - army, air force and navy – in order to optimally utilise their resources for wars and operations.
• A theatre command/unit will be created by integrating elements/assets from all the three services.
  • Simply put, a theatre command deploys elements of the three services under a single, unified command structure.
• Each command is assigned a specific geographical region, combining resources of the three services for operational roles.
• As of now, almost all major countries like China, Russia, the US, the UK and France work on a theatre command concept.
  • For example, China’s Western Theatre Command looks after the entire borders with India.

Theatre commands and India

• 
• The Kargil Review Committee, the Naresh Chandra Committee and the Group of Ministers had called for structural changes in higher defence management.
• It was the Shekatkar committee, which had recommended the creation of the post of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and theatre commands.

Current command structure in India

• At present, India has 17 single service commands and only two tri-service commands.
• The 17 single service commands are divided as:
  • Army – 7 commands; Airforce – 7 commands; Navy – 3 commands
• The two tri-service commands are: Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC), and The Strategic Force Command (handles the nuclear weapons).
  • The Andaman and Nicobar command is a full-fledged command raised as a tri-service command in 2001.

Recent steps taken by India towards theaterisation

• Proposal to create a national defence committee
  • There is a proposal for theatre commanders under a national defence committee likely to be headed by the Defence Minister.
• Inter-Services Organisation (Command, Control and Discipline) Act2023
  • The act empowers the commander-in-chief and the officer-in-command of inter-services organisations with disciplinary and administrative powers over personnel from the other services serving in them.
  • Limited cross-postings between the Army, Navy and IAF have already been implemented to promote jointness.
    • Restructuring of the headquarters and the subsequent postings will take place after the final approval from the govt.

Proposed common defence station

• Key highlights
  • A common defense station would merge all Army, Navy, and Air Force facilities, like logistics and maintenance, under one leadership.
    • In Mumbai, the Navy will lead due to its largest presence.
  • At present, wings of the three services are spread across Mumbai and its suburbs and operate separately.
  • This will mean the logistics, services, and works of the individual services will be integrated so that there is a single system of delivery of supplies such as fuel and ration and common items can be repaired at one place.
• Other proposed common defence stations
  • With Mumbai being the first common defence station being planned, Sulur (near Coimbatore) and Guwahati are likely to be chosen as locations for the second and third common defence stations.
  • While the lead service for Sulur is likely to be IAF, the Army will likely be the lead service for the Guwahati station.