‘Creation of theatre commands will initiate further reforms’

• Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan proposes restructuring of Indian armed forces into Integrated Theatre Commands (ITC).

• Theatre commanders will handle force application and operational aspects, while service chiefs will oversee the “Raise, Train and Sustain” function.

• The restructuring aims to optimize resource utilization and integrate operations.

• The creation of Theatre Commands will initiate next generation of reforms in the armed forces.

• The transformation will require high jointness among the three services and physical integration of processes, activities, and infrastructure.

• The structural transformation will trigger organizational changes at headquarters and lower levels, with acceptability only after officers are aware of the changes.

• The CDS’s mandate is to ensure “jointness” of the three services, with the top priority being the reorganisation of the armed forces’ geography-centric ITC.