Differences over tri-services commands will be resolved considering national interest: CDS

Mhow (MP), Aug 27 (PTI) The "dissonance" in the military on the proposed tri-services commands will be addressed considering the "best national interest", Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan said on Wednesday after the fissures over the ambitious theaterisation plan came out in the open.

The divergent views on the proposed theater commands was visible at a two-day military conclave at the Army War College here with Air Chief Marshal AP Singh cautioning against implementing the plan in a hurry while Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh Tripathi asserted that his force is committed to it.

In his concluding address at the Ran Samwad, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS)said discussion on "differences" and alternate points with an openness is a positive sign and that a final decision will be taken based on national interest.

Though the views of Admiral Tripathi and Air Chief Marshal Singh appeared to be divergent from each other on the theatre commands, both of them were on the same page on ensuring tri-services synergy and jointness to bolster India's military might.

"As the CDS, I actually set out to promote jointness among the three services. And today, I can say with some kind of pleasure and confidence that we can speak about our differences in a very conducive kind of environment, and with openness (and hear) other different points of view," Gen Chauhan said.

"Even if you don't agree with the point, there could be hundreds of points we can discuss over here on which there could have been a dissonance among the three services but yet we are able to listen to that point," he said.

"I think, it is a very good sign. So if you have sensed some kind of a dissonance, let me assure you that we will resolve it in the best interest of the nation," the CDS said.

Gen Chauhan also referred to the respective views of the veterans on the theaterisation plan, suggesting their deep attachment to the forces behind such opinions.

"I think it is very important and am hopeful that something of this may have rubbed on to the veterans over here. They hold an even larger desire to protect their kind of turfs," he said.

In his address at the conclave, the Chief of Air Staff on Tuesday said the armed forces must not come under any pressure to roll out theater commands, and proposed the setting up of a joint planning and coordination centre in Delhi comprising top military brass to ensure tri-services synergy.

Speaking before Gen Chauhan on Wednesday, Admiral Tripathi said Indian Navy is committed to synergise its command and control, communications and combat capability with the Army and the Air Force in line with the goal of theaterisation.

"With theaterisation as the ultimate goal, we are propelling ahead with the goal of unified planning, common picture and integrated operation," he said.

The government had announced the theaterisation plan in 2019 to ensure greater synergy among the three services. However, no visible forward movement has been made to implement it.

The mandate of the CDS was to ensure tri-services synergy and setting up of theatre command structure was considered to be the main task of the top military officer.

Gen Chauhan also talked about the view that discussions on integrated commands should have been attempted around 10 years back.

"There were some questions about integration levels and that you need to progress things faster and take it to a higher level. Be assured that we are doing our bit," he said.

"Sometimes when you ask this kind of questions that this kind of integration, we should have attempted, actually, 10 years back. And then we are here. We are slightly late, but we need to close that particular gap faster," he said.

Under the theaterisation model, the government seeks to integrate the capabilities of the Army, Air Force and Navy and optimally utilise their resources for wars and operations.

As per the theaterisation plan, each of the theatre commands will have units of the Army, the Navy and the Air Force and all of them will work as a single entity looking after security challenges in a specified geographical territory.

At present, the Army, Navy and the Air Force have separate commands. PTI MPB KVK KVK