A long march ahead for theaterisation in India

Though talk of theaterisation has been around for several years now, there has been little on-ground progress

Army chief General Upendra Dwivedi last week said theaterisation — integration of the capabilities of the Army, Navy and the Air Force — is inevitable. Theaterisation has been a clear imperative for India for some time now. With the changing nature of warfare, multiple agencies are required to get involved — beyond the tri-services, even space agencies and cyber defence agencies are now players in warfighting, given wars are now also fought beyond the physical world. And for India, which must protect a long land border in a hostile neighbourhood and a long coastline, integration of combat capabilities operationalised through theatre commands is vital for a maximally effective response during war.

The government must ensure clear timelines are put in place and necessary changes are implemented. (@SpokespersonMoD X/ANI Photo)

Though talk of theaterisation has been around for several years now, there has been little on-ground progress. Even the creation of the post of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), back in 2020, has not really moved matters at the desired pace. Entrenched interests have meant that the idea keeps getting debated, even at the highest levels (that of the service chiefs). Indeed, even as Navy chief Admiral Dinesh Tripathi has signalled commitment to theaterisation, Air Chief Marshal AP Singh last month said there should be no rush towards this, especially with the models of other jurisdictions in mind. However, the concerns surrounding doctrines that the three forces follow and asset budgeting and manoeuvrability — the Air Force believes its operational flexibility in terms of redirecting aircraft to combat fronts doesn’t necessitate theaterisation — are not irresolvable. While CDS General Anil Chauhan has said that the forces will resolve their “dissonance” over the matter “in the best interest of the nation”, it is perhaps time that the government ensured clear timelines are put in place and necessary changes implemented. Only then can India’s long march towards tri-services jointmanship succeed.