PROPOSED CREATION OF THEATRE COMMANDS

INTRODUCTORY NOTE :

"CREATION OF THEATRE COMMANDS -The original proposal was mooted overnight by the first CDS, who as CoAS never uttered a word or submitted a witten proposal or issued a white paper.

Strategic folly and professional insanity of proposal is unquestionably proved by his 'DIRECTIONS' issued in February, 2020 that SINGLE AIR DEFENCE COMMAND (covering length and breadth of India) was to become OPERATIONAL BY 30th JUNE, 2020. Thank God and China for COVID-----!

Thankfully the sound professional advice by men in BLUES, both serving and veterans forced the government to REJECT the proposal of SINGLE AIR DEFENCE COMMAND.

But the 'GENIE' of Theatre Command still remains closeted in the minds of 'some strategists and military advisors to government." -- Gp Capt TP Srivastava

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Strategic Folly and Professional Insanity

"Change is desirable only and only if the existing system has failed to deliver during actual conditions. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it."--Gp Capt TP Srivastava

Introduction

Over the past FIVE YEARS I have already informed the powers that be about the colossal threat to national security if we destroy Indian Military’s existing REGIONAL COMMAND structure and replace it with unwarranted, undesirable and professionally unsound Theatre Command proposal. This article, in brief seeks to highlight extremely serious and virtually insurmountable problems that are likely to emerge in form of structural concerns due to implications of premature restructuring thereby lowering OPERATIONAL READINESS of Indian Military. With prevailing tensions with our neighbours and heightened global instability, time is not ripe for any such experiments which will/may endanger NATIONAL SECURITY.

Competence of Recommending Authority

The original proposal was put forward by first CDS, who as CoAS prior to being appointed as CDS had never even placed it for consideration by Chiefs of Staff Committee or the Government. No WHITE PAPER on such a radical change was ever placed in public domain or consideration by a committee of experts. On assuming the appointment of CDS he probably convinced ‘himself’ that he will bulldoze his way through and tear the organizational fabric of Indian Military to suit his whims and fancy, NATIONAL SECURITY be damned. Present government has already rejected his proposal in part of SINGLE AIR DEFENCE COMMAND, which if implemented would have posed grave threat to national security.

Current CDS, a former THREE STAR OFFICER, who obviously does not have the expertise/experience to assess, assimilate and understand the global and national strategic issues by virtue of his inexperience due to not having risen to status of Service Chief, is believed to present Theatre Command proposal to Cabinet Committee on Security. Needless to discuss, highlight and/or enunciate the wide gulf of experience between a THREE STAR OFFICER FROM ANY SERVICE and SERVICE CHIEFS. By being ‘conferred’ the rank of GENERAL by utterly flawed government order does not ‘inject’ the quantum of experience which a Service Chief acquires while heading a particular Service. For records; ‘Air Chief Marshal/Admiral/General’ is a rank as per JSSD, the BIBLE of Military. It does not contain any provision whatsoever of promoting a retired pensioner Lt Gen to next higher rank of General. Gazette notification issued by the present government was merely for convenience to enable it to ‘un’lawfully appoint a THREE STAR OFFICER as CDS and grant him the rank of General. By the way will the present CDS tell the nation if he continues to draw the pension of Lt Gen along with the salary of CDS as General?

To best of my knowledge current CDS has not authored views on strategic matters viz nuclear ambivalence, defence procurement, macro level organizational restructuring etc during his service carrier. If he has, he should post it for educating persons like me.

In brief the present CDS is not (r) not competent enough to recommend organizational restructuring of military due to his inadequate experience.

Those including the government, who consider a retired THREE STAR as experienced as a SERVICE CHIEF, need their heads examined.

Judicial Analogy

The Supreme Court of India, in its recent stricture regarding the administration of cricket bodies viz BCCI etc opined that only former cricketers are considered to be competent to head such bodies because it is only they, who understand the nuances of the game. By the same analogy it is ONLY THE FORMER SERVICE CHIEFS, who have independently commanded their respective SERVICE, thus understand, appreciate, analyse and assess inter-service dynamics and are/may be deemed competent to not only assume the mantle of CDS but also recommend restructuring of Indian military, if required.

Absence of Statutory Framework

Unlike the USA, which enacted Goldwater-Nicholos Act in 1986 to legally mandate jointness and define command structure. It was necessitated due to the fact that US Military has global footprints, currently deployed in as many as nearly 83 locations outside USA. India’s unwritten statute as enunciated in Parliament by our forefathers is protecting territorial integrity and sovereignty of India.

Strategic Risks

Premature and forcible implementation of imposing Theatre command will/may lead to;

· Operational Paralysis during Transition.

· Emergence of hitherto absent inter-service rivalry during HOT WAR conditions.

· Doctrinal Confusion and Legal Ambiguity.

· Would the chain of command and authority be same as USA wherein C-in-C, Pacific (for example) speaks to POTUS directly?

Recommendations

· Constitute a Joint Parliamentary Committee to study Theatre Command Feasibility.

· At least one former Service Chief from each Service to be a full time member of JPC.

· Prepare a White Paper and circulate in public domain. The paper must clearly highlight failures of existing REGIONAL COMMAND STRUCTURE during HOT WAR conditions.

· Suspend Current Proposal until Doctrinal and Operational Issues are clearly and unequivocally resolved.

· Next CDS should be a former CAS.