Definite Progress Made In Deliberations For Tri-Services Theaterisation Plan: IAF Chief

Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari said the “process of theaterisation of the Indian Armed forces is at a deliberation stage”.

Air Chief Marshal V.R. Chaudhari (File Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari, on Sunday said definite progress has been made in the ongoing deliberations for the theaterisation plan. The Chief of Air Staff told news agency Press Trust of India (PTI) in an interview the Indian Air Force (IAF) remains fully committed to the tri-services integration for enhancing comprehensive national combat power.

Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari said the “process of theaterisation of the Indian Armed forces is at a deliberation stage”.

“There are a few issues which are being discussed and definite progress has been made in this aspect,” he added.

The Chief of Air Staff said the IAF is hopeful that final structures, as and when they come out, would be potent, robust and capable of tackling the existent and future threats.

 “While the deliberations are ongoing, we are hopeful that the final structures, as and when formed, would be potent, robust and capable of tackling the existent and future threats,” Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari said.

“Therefore, the joint structures that we may form shall be specific to our environment, adequately deliberated and war-gamed to clearly annunciate tasks and roles of each service,” he added.

Asserting the three services are on the “same page” when it comes to these broad aspects of formulation of joint structures, Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari said: “The IAF remains fully committed to integration that brings about transformation and enhancement of the comprehensive national combat power.”

“We are sanguine that the armed forces will meet the aspirations of the nation and arrive at a model that is most effective and is future ready,” he added.

The Chief of Air Staff said the IAF is committed to joint operational planning based on principles of achieving enhanced combat power and efficiency in operations of armed forces.

Earlier last year, the Department of Military Affairs headed by India’s first Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat had asked all the three services to carry out independent studies on the theaterisation plan for its rollout.

The deliberations on the theaterisation plan, however, slowed down following General Rawat’s demise in a helicopter crash in  in Tamil Nadu's Coonoor in December last year.

Each of the theatre commands, as per the plan, will have units of the Army, the Navy and the Air Force.

The Army, Navy and the Air Force, which presently have separate commands, will work as a single entity looking after security challenges in a specified geographical territory under an operational commander.