NEW DELHI: India’s top military brass is set to assemble in Jaipur for the Joint Commanders Conference in the first week of May, likely on 7 and 8 May, in a meet that coincides with the anniversary of Operation Sindoor.
The high-level deliberations come at a crucial juncture, with the long-pending theaterisation process now in advanced stages. “The proposed raising of dedicated rocket and missile forces and the review of Project Sudarshan Chakra is also expected to figure prominently. Alongside that, there will be a hard look at operational gaps, procurement priorities, indigenous capability building and how faster tri-service integration can sharpen combat readiness,”a source said.
“West Asia is offering real-time lessons in modern warfare, from integrated air and missile defence to drones, precision strikes, logistics chains and how multi-domain battles are currently unfolding. Those takeaways will also certainly be part of the discussions,” the source added.
The last edition of the conference held in Kolkata was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It had placed emphasis on operational lessons from the 88-hour conflict as well as the broader theaterisation roadmap.
Earlier this month, it was learnt that around 90% of the groundwork on the broad framework for integrated theatre commands had been completed, with the proposal expected to move to the defence ministry this month for vetting before eventual consideration at higher political levels, including the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS).
While the Inter-Services Organisations (Command, Control and Discipline) Act, 2023 has already laid the foundation for greater jointness by empowering cross-service commanders, full-scale theatre commands may eventually require a wider legal framework, including possible amendments to the Army, Air Force and Navy Acts or fresh legislative measures depending on the final structure.
The current theaterisation framework looks at three integrated theatre commands. The western theatre command, focused on Pakistan, is learnt to be Air Force-led. The northern theatre command, focused on China and the Line of Actual Control, is expected to be Army-led. The maritime theatre command, under the Navy, is expected to cover both seaboards and the Indian Ocean Region.
Sources said each integrated theatre command is expected to be headed by a four-star officer. The proposal is also learnt to include the appointment of a Vice Chief of Defence Staff to support the evolving structure, though it remains unclear whether that post will carry four-star rank.
The Army and Navy have backed the move towards integrated theatre commands and have publicly described greater jointness and theaterisation as “inevitable” for future warfare.
The Indian Air Force, however, has raised concerns over the geographic segmentation of air power, particularly given its limited fighter strength of around 29 squadrons. It is learnt that one proposal under discussion involves retaining limited high-value assets such as Airborne Warning and Control Systems (AWACS), aerial refuellers and electronic warfare aircraft under centralised national control at Air Headquarters in New Delhi.