New Delhi: India’s defence establishment is closing in on a theaterisation model that will introduce a rotational system for the post of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS); assign operational roles, albeit limited, to Service Chiefs; and appoint three-star officers as theatre commanders with a focus on institution-building, ThePrint has learnt.
Sources in the defence and security establishment also told ThePrint that the office of the Vice Chief of Defence Staff, which will be the principal operational authority with theatre commanders reporting to it, could be held by a single service in the initial years.
The Army is pushing to retain the office, arguing that India’s primary security challenges, Pakistan and China, remain land-centric, and that it is the largest of the three services.
The proposed structure envisions the post of CDS rotating between the Army, Navy and Air Force. While both Chiefs of Defence Staff so far have been from the Army, sources said officials stressed that the rotational principle would guide future appointments, even if not in a strictly sequential manner.
Further, in a significant shift from earlier thinking, the first set of theatre commanders is likely to comprise three-star officers rather than four-star officers. Their immediate mandate will not be operational control but to establish a system of protocols, command chains and organisational structures needed for integrated functioning, sources explained.
During this phase, existing single-service commands will not formally report to theatre commanders. However, they will keep them looped into all operational and administrative correspondence with their respective chain of command, allowing a gradual transition without disrupting current command and operational responsibilities.
Each theatre headquarters will be tri-service composition. Deputies, whether designated as Deputy Theatre Commanders or Chiefs of Staff, will come from a service different from that of the commander. The final nomenclature is still under discussion, reflecting differences in expected roles and responsibilities, sources said.
As ThePrint reported on 8 April, the Western theatre to be based in Jaipur and focused on Pakistan will be headed by an IAF officer while the Northern Theatre, based in Lucknow and focused on China, will be headed by an Army officer. The maritime theatre command based out of Thiruvanthapuram will be headed by a Navy officer.
Appointments are expected to be staggered and aligned with routine postings rather than through a disruptive, one-time overhaul.
“There won’t be any operational change once the theatre commands are announced, The focus will be on the administrative part in the first phase. All theatre commanders will have a deputy or Chief of Staff who will be from the other Service. Similarly, the operational hierarchy of each Theatre will also have elements from all Services,” a source said.
Sources added that appointments will be made as and when the current officer gets posted out in normal circumstances.
The theaterisation proposal had been stuck over how limited air assets would be divided. However, as ThePrint reported on 9 April, consensus has been reached on division of air assets among the three theatres. Air Headquarters will control the strategic air assets namely refuellers, transport aircraft, airborne early warning and control aircraft, besides any electronic intelligence aircraft acquired in future and space assets.
Enough indications are that, unlike what was originally planned, the Service Chiefs will have some kind of operational role, even if limited. The original plan was to make the role purely raise, train and sustain.
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)
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