Military top guns to update Modi on theatre commands

Ajay Banerjee

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 2

Senior-most military commanders will update Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the setting up two theatre commands with elements of all three armed forces operating jointly.

Three more integrated commands

The Air Defence Command will control air defence resources of all three services, including the S-400 missiles, being purchased from Russia. A three-star IAF officer will head it and it will be headquartered at Allahabad. Three other integrated commands could be set up.

Modi will be meeting the chiefs of the three services — The Army, IAF and the Navy — along with the Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat at the ‘combined commanders conference’ to be conducted at the Statue of Unity at Kevadia in Gujarat.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will also be present.

The ‘combined commanders conference’ comes at a time when the forces have agreed on two joint commands — one for air defence and the other for maritime. The process has been completed and Modi will be informed about the contours in detail. Creating theatre commands is the mandate of the CDS. The commands are slated to be set up by April-end.

India will set up an overarching maritime command. It will have warships, fighter jets, helicopters, submarines, aircraft carriers and special amphibious brigades of the Army. To be headed by a three-star Naval officer, the command’s contours have been finalised. It is likely to be based in Karwar (Karnataka), the maritime command will be the sole point for sea operations.