Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan has called upon the three services of the Indian Armed Forces to foster a ‘Joint Culture’ as they progress towards establishing ‘Joint Operational Structures’. Addressing the 22nd Major General Samir Sinha Memorial Lecture, held at the United Service Institution (USI) of India in New Delhi, General Chauhan characterised the development of Joint Culture in the armed forces as a collective effort, a ‘Jointness 2.0,’ which he envisions as the future direction.
General Chauhan explained that “Jointness 1.0” focused on fostering camaraderie and consensus among the services. With no significant differences hindering progress, the time has come to elevate this collaboration to “Jointness 2.0.”
General Chauhan emphasised the need to create a unified Joint Culture that respects these differences and acknowledges the unique cultures of the Army, Navy, and Air Force.
“Joint Culture, though distinct from individual service cultures, should embrace the unique strengths of each branch. We must strive to incorporate the highest common factors from each service rather than settle for the least common denominators,” he stated.
He also highlighted ongoing initiatives to promote Joint Culture, including tri-service participation in national events.
General Chauhan stressed that Jointness and Integration are essential for establishing effective Integrated Theatre Commands. He explained that these commands would separate operational functions from the Raise-Train-Sustain (RTS) and other administrative tasks, allowing operational commanders to focus more on security matters.
“The creation of such commands will separate the ‘operational’ functions from the Raise-Train-Sustain (RTS) and other administrative functions and will allow greater focus of the operational commander to matters of security,” he said.
The CDS noted that the formation of Theatre Commands was just the beginning of a series of reforms. He outlined that Integrated Theatre Commands would lead to several advancements, such as transitioning from single to multi-domain operations, integrating space and cyber capabilities with traditional military domains, digitising battlefield information, and shifting from net-centric to data-centric operations.
Underlining the necessity of these reforms, General Chauhan highlighted that nation-states globally are confronting new challenges, and the current shifts in world order are compelling nations to reassess their security strategies. However, he also emphasised that rapid technological advancements are not just revolutionising but also enhancing how future wars will be fought, instilling a sense of hope and optimism.
Team BharatShakti
