Indian Army chief’s stress on theaterisation betrays rift within forces
New Delhi: A serious rift has once again surfaced within the Indian armed forces as Army chief General Upendra Dwivedi admitted that theaterisation—the proposed integration of Army, Air Force and Navy under unified commands—is inevitable, though disagreements persist at the top level.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Dwivedi made the remarks after releasing a book at the Manekshaw Centre in New Delhi, asserting that “theaterisation will definitely take place, today or tomorrow.” He argued that with multiple agencies like the BSF, ITBP, cyber and space units, ISRO, Civil Defence, Railways, and state administrations involved, unity of command through theaterisation was “absolutely necessary” for coordination.
However, the Army chief’s assertions come in the backdrop of publicly divergent positions expressed by the Indian Air Force and Navy. At the recent tri-services seminar ‘Ran Samwad’ in Mhow, Air Chief Marshal A P Singh and Navy chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi opposed the rushed implementation of the plan, cautioning against pressure for theatre commands. Their views sharply contrasted with the Army’s thrust, underscoring deep unease among the services.
Even Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan acknowledged the “dissonance” within the forces, admitting the disagreements needed to be resolved “in the best interest of the nation.” Analysts point out that the discord not only reflects institutional turf wars but also questions the Modi regime’s ability to impose its ambitious military restructuring.
The Army chief further admitted that drones and UAVs will dominate future wars, while hailing recent GST cuts on military hardware and UAVs as a boost to India’s struggling defence corridors.
Observers say the public airing of differences between the Army, Air Force and Navy reflects the lack of cohesion in India’s war doctrine, raising doubts about the credibility of its claims of military preparedness.
