Committed to theatre commands, but first have national security strategy: Ex Army chief Naravane

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 30

Former Indian Army chief General MM Naravane (retd) on Thursday made it clear that the Army was fully committed to the concept of ‘Theatre-based commands’ but added it was important to specify its goals under a National Security Strategy (NSS). Unless there was an NSS in place, talk of ‘theatrisation’ was like putting the cart before the horse.

“Once we have an NSS, there needs to be an interface between the government which has made the strategy and the military commanders on the ground,” said the General as he delivered the 4th General KV Krishna Rao Memorial Lecture here at the Manekshaw Centre.

“Only after the NSS and the higher defence organisation is in place, we can start thinking about theatre commands. The charter of these and the role they have to play has to come from the top,” the General added.

“With an NSS, we also need a higher defence organisation which has to reflect the national approach and needs to give representation of all ministries,” he said.

Within such a strategy, there may be other diplomatic and political considerations which will limit the freedom of action which is given to the theatre commanders on ground. There may be other factors that the armed forces are not completely in the know off because of which, such a higher defence organisation is required.

The former Army chief said the nature of conventional and unconventional threats has changed and information warfare has sharpened the role of social media.

Listing out the transformation of the Indian Army, the General said, “The ‘Agnipath scheme’ – the new method recruiting troops was an idea for which time had come.”

Modernisation and infusion of technology is the next big thing and that includes niche and disruptive technology including artificial intelligence, quantum computing and 5G.

The Army as an organisation is ‘rebalancing’ and ‘reorganising’.

Rebalancing was undertaken in context of strategic reorientation.

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