With the Ministry of Defence designating 2025 as the ‘Year of Reforms,’ the Armed Forces are set on a transformative path towards becoming a technologically advanced, combat-ready force capable of executing multi-domain integrated operations. A significant element of this transformation is initiating measures to enhance jointness across the Army, Navy, and Air Force.
One noteworthy step under this reform agenda is the decision to assign Aide-de-Camps (ADCs) from sister services to the three Service Chiefs. It marks a departure from tradition, where each Chief’s ADCs were exclusively drawn from their own service, often from their parent units.
While this move may appear symbolic, it carries considerable significance. Assigning ADCs from other services is a visible gesture aimed at fostering jointness and integration at the highest echelons of military leadership. These ADCs, who are prominently involved in their Chiefs’ activities, will serve as ambassadors of joint culture, inspiring their peers to embrace inter-service cooperation.
The foundation for this cultural shift was laid during 2023 and 2024 when cross-postings of junior and mid-level officers across services became a key focus of the reform agenda. This exposure enabled personnel to gain firsthand experience in tri-service environments, preparing them for greater integration. By mid-2024, middle and senior officers were also increasingly assigned operational roles in sister services under broader human resource reforms. These initiatives aim to embed an institutional ethos of jointness, paving the way for seamless coordination in future operations.
The inclusion of ADCs from sister services is an extension of these efforts, symbolizing the Armed Forces’ resolve to instil a spirit of collaboration at the highest levels. Analysts see this move as a strong indicator of the military’s commitment to theatre commands, reinforcing the structural and procedural changes introduced over the past two years.
Team BharatShakti
