‘Complex issues must be addressed before rolling out theatre commands’

The defence ministry told a parliamentary panel a raft of complex issues must be addressed before rolling out integrated theatre commands as they have a direct bearing on the proposed force structure, calling it “a trailblazing reform.”

The ministry’s response to a pointed question on theaterisation was part of a new report tabled by the standing committee on defence in Parliament on Monday.

“Deliberations on reorganizing the Armed Forces into Integrated Theatre Commands are in progress and currently being examined at various levels before finalisation of an optimal organisational structure to meet the operational requirements,” the report said.

The setting up of integrated theatre commands for the best use of the military’s resources to fight future wars, new domains such as cyber and space, and simpler weapons buying procedures are in sharp focus as the defence ministry has declared 2025 as the “year of reforms” aimed at modernising the armed forces to tackle new challenges.

The ministry told the panel that the integrated theatre commands will facilitate better co-ordination and integrated application of force which will enhance operational efficiency and optimise resource utilization.

“It would also aid in creation and integration of new war-fighting capabilities and faster assimilation of future technology and tactics. The concept of theaterisation seeks to mitigate the shortcomings of single service operations and support modern war fighting,” according to the report.

Jointness among the three services is an essential prerequisite to the creation of theatre commands. The theaterisation model being pursued involves raising the China-centric northern theatre command in Lucknow, the Pakistan-centric western theatre command in Jaipur, and the maritime theatre command in Thiruvananthapuram.

In another report tabled in Parliament, the committee noted that the armed forces are moving towards creating and operationalising theatre commands, in line with the government’s directive.

“The Committee finds that this integrated structural framework shall ensure unity of resources, planning process and execution of the operations in a given theatre, and in so doing, create seamless synergy between the constituent services,” the report said.

The panel said it had been informed that the theatre commands will have integral resources from all the services to discharge their operational mandate.

“Accordingly, the staff required in the theatre commands shall be drawn from all the three services to perform the functions associated with the ‘Integrated Processes’ in the fields of operations, intelligence gathering, planning, logistics, administration, HR management etc.”

Defence minister Rajnath Singh will conduct a quarterly review of critical defence reforms being driven by the government to boost the armed forces’ combat readiness, including theaterisation. The theaterisation drive, a long-awaited military reform, is expected to gather pace.

The ongoing reforms came into sharp focus on January 1 when the defence ministry declared 2025 as the “year of reforms” aimed at transforming the military into a technologically advanced, combat-ready force capable of tackling new challenges. Theaterisation is among the nine areas identified by the defence ministry for focused intervention.

The reforms also seek to build indigenous capabilities to strengthen the armed forces and simplify acquisition procedures for swifter capability development.