Indian tri-Services, joint and theatre commands

[kshkumsin]

well i have seen some threads and they direct people to other threads for some minute deviation from topic.Here is a thread where u discuss everything related to army,navy,airfoce.

 

[kshkumsin]

Re: The triservices discussion

 

[kshkumsin]

Re: The triservices discussion

 

[kshkumsin]

 

[kshkumsin]

 

[kshkumsin]

 

[kshkumsin]

 

[arnabmit]

Synergy of services key to battle's outcome: IAF chief

India's future operational experiences will invariably be joint operations where a degree of synergy among the three services will be a key determinant of the final outcome, the Indian Air Force (IAF) chief, Air Chief Marshal N.A.K. Browne, said Saturday.

Addressing the gentlemen cadets at the passing out parade of 132nd Regular and Allied Courses at the Indian Military Academy here, Air Chief Marshal Browne impressed upon them the need to broaden their horizons and interact and make friends with their counterparts from the other services.

"India's future operational experiences will invariably be joint operations where, in addition to the specialised core competence of each service, the degree of synergy amongst the services will be a key determinant of the final outcome. So, widen your horizons, be 'full spectrum' in your thinking and develop a healthy professional respect for each other's capabilities, as these will have a force multiplier effect on India's future military power," he said.

Browne, who is the chairman of the chiefs of staff committee, said the Indian Army was going through a revolutionary phase of comprehensive capability enhancement, adding the young officers would be at the forefront of the momentous changes.

"Irrespective of your chosen arms, you would be operating in a knowledge-centric environment and technology would be intrinsic to each and every facet of future combat operations. To meet the stringent demands of this new environment, there will be a need to constantly prepare and adapt. So my advice to you would be to 'Never stop learning'," Browne said.

He asked the young officers to strive towards understanding every aspect of their job as future operational capabilities of the army will greatly depend on their professional capabilities.

Browne said it was a matter of honour for him to welcome 705 fine young men from 132nd Regular and Allied Courses into the "Brotherhood of Arms."

He also congratulated officers from friendly foreign countries who passed out Saturday.

Browne said the contours of national security challenges facing the country were fast evolving.

He said the service life will bring the officers face to face with a multitude of challenges and these will define their character, value system and credibility in their team.

Browne said the gentlemen cadet's future will be filled "with some good, some quite ordinary and some pretty bad times" and they should draw on their training when faced with doubts, temptations, dilemmas and deliberations.

"Make sure that you always do the right thing – the right way. On your strength of character and moral fibre depends the reputation of our Indian Army. Ensure that all your actions contribute towards strengthening it further," he added.

The air chief said that the gentleman cadets will join the army which has a long history of boundless valour and selfless service.

"Each one of you – with your talents, your intelligence and your previous accomplishments could have chosen something easy or safer but instead, you gentlemen willingly took on the mantle of duty, honour and country"¦ I salute your spirit," he said and added that there were "very few vocations, as satisfying and as noble as yours".

He called upon them to live up to the high standards expected of an officer of the Indian Army.

He also thanked the parents "for offering the nation the gift of these fine young men".

 

[DivineHeretic]

Tri-Service synergy, combined operations, Air-ground-Sea combined battle area management, Joint operations/Theatre command are all fancy terms regularly quoted by the Service Chiefs to underscore the capabilities of the Indian Armed forces to the general public, especially after the US demonstrated the importance of combined operations in 21st century war.

But in reality, the three services (and their Chiefs) are still fighting one another, bitterly at times, to maintain old 20th century status quo. We have the Air force fighting to keep all things flying under its command, the Army to gain full control of Helis and the Navy to take command of the Amphibious brigade.

Lets be honest, all the Services are pushing to protect their turf, not improving combined arms capability. Whatever statement is made by the Service Chiefs are just that, a statement....not the reality.

It is certainly true that the ability of one force to work in support of the other is increasing, but that is still not the same as combined operations. Combined operations mean the entire operation, right from the planning stage, is developed as a whole entity. Instead we have the three services developing independent plans with them fibally being stitched together.

The fundamental cause of this difference between the services perception lies with the officers themselves. A AF pilot does not understand/realise that the area he just tore through a micro-second ago is a series of bunkers/a minefield/a uphill climb which has bogged down a company of troops. He most likely sees 10-15 thermal signatures against a 100 men.

The infantry guy does not understand why the AC that zipped through a second ago did not blow up the hostile positions....

The same story goes on with the Navy officers.......

This is not a problem faced by us only, even the Brits and the US too face them to an extent.

The way I see it, this problem will be resolved only when a Marine or Army Aviation or Naval Aviation guy gets promoted to the upper echelons. These are people who have seen the best and worst of two worlds.

People who have fought( trained assaults) on the beaches yet operate under Naval commanders, people who have flown combat Helis into action and yet lived with infantry men, people who have flown fighters yet live and operate onboard a ship....These are the people who best understand the importance of one arm to the other, the necessity and effectiveness of combined action and synergy. These are people who are exposed to the views of other services and that of their own, an alien in their own institution.

 

[arnabmit]

That is why COAS, CONS & COAFS have come up with a new solution to the turf war. Theater command as in A&N has failed, so new way forward is need based command.

New org structure would be as follows:
1) Aerospace Command - Headed by COAFS
2) Special OPS Command - Headed by COAS
3) Cyber Command - Headed by CONS

Each command will span and directly control the assets and personnel across all 3 services, based on the need of the operation. I think this is exactly what the air chief said yesterday.

Tri-service commands for space, cyber warfare - Times Of India

Armed forces to pitch for three new commands before PM - NY Daily News | NewsCred SmartWire

Indian armed forces mulling three joint commands - Times Of India

Tri-Service synergy, combined operations, Air-ground-Sea combined battle area management, Joint operations/Theatre command are all fancy terms regularly quoted by the Service Chiefs to underscore the capabilities of the Indian Armed forces to the general public, especially after the US demonstrated the importance of combined operations in 21st century war.

But in reality, the three services (and their Chiefs) are still fighting one another, bitterly at times, to maintain old 20th century status quo. We have the Air force fighting to keep all things flying under its command, the Army to gain full control of Helis and the Navy to take command of the Amphibious brigade.

Lets be honest, all the Services are pushing to protect their turf, not improving combined arms capability. Whatever statement is made by the Service Chiefs are just that, a statement....not the reality.

It is certainly true that the ability of one force to work in support of the other is increasing, but that is still not the same as combined operations. Combined operations mean the entire operation, right from the planning stage, is developed as a whole entity. Instead we have the three services developing independent plans with them fibally being stitched together.

The fundamental cause of this difference between the services perception lies with the officers themselves. A AF pilot does not understand/realise that the area he just tore through a micro-second ago is a series of bunkers/a minefield/a uphill climb which has bogged down a company of troops. He most likely sees 10-15 thermal signatures against a 100 men.

The infantry guy does not understand why the AC that zipped through a second ago did not blow up the hostile positions....

The same story goes on with the Navy officers.......

This is not a problem faced by us only, even the Brits and the US too face them to an extent.

The way I see it, this problem will be resolved only when a Marine or Army Aviation or Naval Aviation guy gets promoted to the upper echelons. These are people who have seen the best and worst of two worlds.

People who have fought( trained assaults) on the beaches yet operate under Naval commanders, people who have flown combat Helis into action and yet lived with infantry men, people who have flown fighters yet live and operate onboard a ship....These are the people who best understand the importance of one arm to the other, the necessity and effectiveness of combined action and synergy. These are people who are exposed to the views of other services and that of their own, an alien in their own institution.

 

[Voldemort]

India does not yet have a tri-service military organisation that can effectively coordinate between the army, navy and air force in equipping, manning and planning for battle. But it now has a building for one.

Defence Minister Arun Jaitley today unveiled the foundation stone for the Headquarters of the Integrated Defence Staff (HQ IDS), which has functioned since 2001 as a rump organization without real powers. This after two high-power bodies --- the Kargil Review Committee and a Group of Ministers (GoM) --- recommended the appointment of a powerful chief of defence staff (CDS), who would be the top commander over all three services.

This five-star ranked CDS was to oversee the four-star ranked chiefs of the army, navy and air force. He would be a single point of advice to the government on military matters.

With political and bureaucratic opposition to such a powerful post mounting, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's government quickly backtracked. Citing the need for "political consultations", which has been echoed over the last ten years by the United Progressive Alliance, the government set up HQ IDS in Oct 2001, headed by a three-star officer who is junior to the chiefs of the army, navy and air force. With no power to implement joint service decisions, the IDS has remained a relative backwater to which vocal and inconvenient officers can be sidelined.

Meanwhile, the job of tri-service chief --- termed the Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee, or COSC --- is carried out by the senior-most serving chief. He is expected to play this role in addition to commanding his own service.

The BJP manifesto has undertaken to address the issue of higher military command. So far, however, a permanent defence minister is still awaited.

Speaking at the inauguration, Mr Jaitley declared that in future almost all operations, be they inland or overseas, were invariably going to be tri-service operations. Developing synergy between the services to achieve optimum force application therefore attains utmost importance, he remarked.

Broadsword: Tri-service military command takes tiny step forward

 

[SafedSagar]

Govt gets cracking on three new tri-Service commands


NEW DELHI: The Modi government has finally got cracking on the long-pending proposal to create three new tri-Service commands to handle the critical arenas of space, cyberspace and clandestine warfare in the form of Special Forces.

Sources on Wednesday said defence minister Manohar Parrikar has directed the integrated defence staff (IDS), which is headed by a three-star general and deals with tri-Service issues, to "work out and fine-tune" the "basic structures" for the Cyber, Aerospace and Special Operations Commands.

"The detailed notes for the three commands, with presentations and timelines, have already gone up and down between the IDS and MoD a couple of times. It will take another year or so for the commands to be created," said a source.

India has been quite slow to respond to the ever-expanding military challenges and threats in space and cyberspace, which have emerged as the new battlefields after the traditional ones of land, sea and air. With its disparate Special Forces being controlled by different authorities, it has also failed to transform its unconventional warfare arm into an effective tool for strategic use.

TOI was the first to report in 2012 that the chiefs of staff committee, which comprises the Army, Navy and IAF chiefs, had recommended the urgent need for the three new unified commands. But since then, the proposal had remained in cold storage before it was revived in recent months.

"The new commands will, of course, not be set up in one go. They will come up in a phased manner depending on availability of funds...the accretion of manpower will also be progressive," said the source.

The three Services already have their own space and cyber cells as well as different Special Forces in the form of Para-SF battalions (Army), marine commandos (Navy) and Garuds (IAF). But there is a critical need to pool the resources of the three Services, which often engage in turf wars, and set up unified command and control structures to "synergise" the capabilities in a cost-effective manner.

The plan is to have three-star generals (Lt-Generals/Air Marshals/Vice Admirals) from the service with the "requisite core competence" to be the commanders-in-chief of the new commands. So, while the structures and manpower will be tri-Service, the Aerospace Command is likely to be headed by an IAF officer.

Similarly, the Special Operations Command will get an Army Lt-Gen to head it. The country's only existing tri-Service theatre command in the strategically-located Andaman and Nicobar archipelago, which currently gets a chief in rotation from the three Services like the Strategic Forces Command (SFC), in turn, will be headed by a naval officer. The Cyber Command, the SFC and IDS will get their chiefs in rotation from the three Services.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...tri-Service-commands/articleshow/48550424.cms

 

[Yusuf]

President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Narendra Modi met for the fifth time in a little over a year in New York on September 28, 2015. They took stock of the state of the bilateral relationship and noted with approval the achievements of the last 10 years since the nuclear deal was signed in July 2005. They had reasons to be satisfied with the manner in which the U.S.-India strategic partnership has gained momentum and its potential as a force for peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
In a joint press briefing after their meeting, President Obama said the two leaders discussed measures to “further refine our strategic vision” that encompasses many areas of security cooperation, including defense procurement. Prime Minister Modi said the relationship demonstrates “extraordinary depth and diversity.” He said defense cooperation was expanding. The two countries resolved to further deepen cooperation on counterterrorism, radicalism, and cybersecurity. The Indian prime minister welcomed the progress in giving shape to the joint strategic vision on the Asian, Pacific, and Indian Ocean regions.
Chinese Challenge
In keeping with diplomatic niceties, China’s increasing military assertiveness was not mentioned in public. However, the two leaders would have undoubtedly noted that China’s brazen violation of international norms, particularly in the South China Sea, and its growing military and economic power pose a strategic challenge to the United States and its allies and strategic partners.
China senses the emergence of a security vacuum in the Indo-Pacific region and is rushing to fill it. China has discarded Deng Xiaoping’s 24-character strategy to “hide our capacity and bide our time.” It has also dropped the phrase “peaceful rise,” while referring to its military and economic growth. However, China’s coming out party may not be completely peaceful.
China’s rapid economic growth has been fairly uneven and noninclusive. There is a deep sense of resentment against the leadership of the Communist Party for the denial of basic freedoms and rampant corruption. The discontentment simmering below the surface could boil over and lead to an uncontrollable spontaneous implosion. David Shambaugh, a well-known China scholar, is the latest to have jumped on the China-may-implode bandwagon. The recent crash of Chinese stock markets may have provided the first glimpse of impending implosion.
Also, given its recent belligerence, China could behave irresponsibly somewhere in the Indo-Pacific region. It could decide to intervene militarily in the South China Sea or to occupy the Senkaku/ Diaoyu islands or resolve territorial and boundary disputes. Though President Xi Jinping denied plans to “militarize” the South China Sea, surely China is not building air strips there to fly in Japanese tourists.
Both the contingencies have a low probability of occurrence, but they will be high-impact events with widespread ramifications if either of them comes to pass. Both India and the United States will need strong partners to deal with the fallout and to manage the consequences. Hence, the U.S.-India strategic partnership makes eminent sense as a hedging strategy for both countries.
Preparing for Joint Operations
The defense cooperation element of the strategic partnership must now be taken to the next higher trajectory to enable joint threat assessment; contingency planning for joint operations; sharing of intelligence; simulations and table-top exercises—besides training exercises with troops; coordination of command, control, and communications; and, planning for deployment and logistics support. All of these activities will need to be undertaken in concert with other strategic partners such as Australia, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and Vietnam.
Together with the United States and its other strategic partners, India must take the lead in establishing a cooperative security framework for peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region and for the security of the global commons—air space, space, cyberspace, and sea-lanes of communication to enable the freedom of navigation and the free flow of trade. If China is willing to join this security architecture, it should be welcomed.
India as a Net Provider of Security
U.S. leaders have expressed their support for India’s emergence as a major power several times in the last 10 years. They have used phrases like the United States is committed “to help India become a major world power in the 21st century” (briefing by U.S. official after the visit of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in 2005); “India is not just a rising power, it has already risen” (President Obama in 2010).
Now the United States expects “India to become a net provider of security” in the region, but the expectations have not been stated in specific terms. When asked, U.S. officials normally point to India joining international counterterrorism and counterproliferation efforts; sharing intelligence; upholding the rules and norms governing maritime trade; providing help to the littoral states to meet their security needs; helping to counter piracy and narcotics trafficking; and, continuing to take the lead in humanitarian and disaster relief (HADR) operations in the region.
While all of these expectations are unexceptionable, and India has been contributing extensively to achieving these common goals, there is little understanding of the extent of cooperation expected from India in terms of “hard” military power. The United States had requested India to send an infantry division to Iraq during the war in 2003. India declined to do so as it was not a vital national interest.
A similar request is again being made informally by visiting U.S. scholars for fighting the militia of the so-called Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). Once again, it is not a vital national interest, and by definition, only vital interests are to be defended by employing military force when threatened. However, it could become a vital interest if ISIS is able to extend the area controlled by it to the Persian Gulf, as 60 percent of India’s oil and gas come from the Gulf.
India is developing robust tri-service capabilities for military intervention. India will not hesitate to intervene in conjunction with its strategic partners if its vital national interests are threatened in its area of strategic interest, which extends from the South China Sea in the east to the Horn of Africa in the west. India would prefer to do so under a UN flag but may join a coalition of the willing in case consensus is difficult to achieve in the UN Security Council.
Gurmeet Kanwal is a Delhi-based adjunct fellow with the Wadhwani Chair in U.S.-India Policy Studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C.

https://csis.org/publication/next-s...efense-cooperation-must-be-taken-higher-traje


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[Srinivas_K]

India will not intervene in SCS conflict militarily.

India supports UNCLOS and supports the diplomatic process to resolve the issue peacefully.

 

[ezsasa]

NEW DELHI: Attempting to fulfil his party’s poll promise, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has said India will soon get a General No 1, who will be the top commander of all three services and would be the single point person to the government on military matters.

Speaking exclusively to Express, Parrikar said that the government was fully committed to making this a reality to inject much-needed synergy into military planning, operations and procurements as well.

Creation of the post of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), the top military man, was recommended by a Group of Ministers in 2001, soon after the Kargil conflict and the issue was mentioned in the BJP’s manifesto for the 2014 general elections.


“The decision could happen within the year. The issue is connected to taking a call on improving the tooth to tail ratio as well as on jointness in the armed forces,” said Parrikar.


“We have formed a committee under Gen Shekatkar (retd) that has to give a detailed report in 90 days. After that we will take a decision as they have an impact on each other,” the Minister explained. The 11-member committee led by Shekatkar has three months to chalk out an action plan and recommend how to “re-balance” overall defence expenditure in view of the escalating salary and pension bills.

Creation of the Chief of Defence Staff post would be the first major military reform by the Modi government after resolving the four-decade-old One Rank One Pension issue.

A new defence procurement procedure has also been released. Though India has a tri-service command, it is headed by a three-star officer junior to the military chiefs who are four-star.

The post of the Chief of Defence Staff is likely to be of a four-star who would be in-charge of the tri-services command at Andaman and Nicobar islands, the strategic command in-charge of nuclear weapons along with the upcoming cyber and space command. When asked about artillery guns for army, which have not been procured for the last three decades due to Bofors scandal, Parrikar said the indigenously built 155mm artillery gun, Dhanush was in its last stage of induction into the army.

“At present induction trials are on for the Dhanush gun and six guns are being seen. The Dhanush shall in all probability be inducted in the current financial year. If you ask me, technically, they are already inducted as they are undergoing induction trials,” he said. And on the much-hyped Rafale fighter jet deal, Parrikar said his ministry was looking to conclude it in the next month.

“You just wait. I can’t tell the exact time for its conclusion, but there is no reason why it should not be inked in June as negotiations are in the last and final phase,” he said.


http://www.newindianexpress.com/nat...rvices-Parrikar/2016/05/27/article3452774.ece

 

[pmaitra]

This is like forming a joint command. A joint command will make the three military arms more cohesive. OROP is going to be difficult to implement.

 

[ezsasa]

Seeking to bring in major reforms in the country's defence forces, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked the Ministry of Defence to initiate steps towards creating theatre commands for the military.

Under a theatre commands, all the troops and resources of the three forces - Army, Navy and Air Force - would be combined and put under the command of one officer, who would be from either of the three serivces and who would determine their use.

At the combined commanders conference headed by the prime minister, the Integrated Defence Staff under the Defence Ministry was asked to prepare a roadmap for theatre commands and new initiatives would be taken by this year-end, senior Defence Ministry sources told India Today.


Appointment OF NEW FOUR STAR GEN ALSO BEING CONSIDERED

The three services had made a detailed presentation to the prime minister at the conference, which was held recently. As part of defence reforms, the government is also appointing a new four star general to looking after the issues related to three services.

All these structures of proposed command would be provided in the roadmap by the military officers under the guidance of political leadership the sources stated.

At the conference, the IAF had raised questions over the command structure and equipment integration under the theatre commands but everybody recognised the need for creating new military structures.

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/...es-commands-for-indian-military/1/879902.html

 

[ezsasa]

I guess by End of the year, we will have more clarity...

 

[F-14B]

Long time overdue i say man i am surprised at the pace and boldness of the present government in the relems of defence

 

[Sourav Kumar]

Great news..

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