SSB Interview Question: What is a theatre/Joint Command? Do we have theatre/Joint Commands in India?
Answer: A theatre command is a unified command in which the resources of all the services are unified under a single commander looking at a geographical theatre (battleground/ Threat area). It means that a single military commander, as per the requirements, will have the resources of the Army, the Navy, and the Air Force to manage a security threat. The commander of a joint command will have the freedom to train and equip his command as per the objective and will have logistics of all the services at his beckoning. The three services will retain their independent identities as well. The other key advantage is that through such integration and jointness, the three Services (Army, Navy & Air Force) will be able to avoid duplication of resources. The resources available under each Service will be available to other Services too. The Services will get to know one another better, strengthening cohesion in the Armed Forces.
In 2023, with the guidance of CDS Anil Chauhan, the Indian Armed Forces have proposed three integrated theatre commands (ITC) instead. These Theatre commands will be under 4-star officers equivalent in rank to the Chief of Army, Navy, and Air Force. All the theatre commanders and the three Chiefs of Chief of Army, Navy and Air Force will report to the Department of Military Affairs (DMA), which is headed by the CDS.
The three proposed theatre commands are supposed to look after the northern front with China (Lucknow), the western borders with Pakistan (Jaipur), and also include a maritime command (Karnataka) under naval Command. However, the idea of the Air Defence Command (ADC) has been dropped so as to avoid splitting its limited air assets amongst the commands (most probably because of asset shortages— in terms of both personnel and limited fighter squadron strength. While India has an authorised strength of 42 fighter squadrons, only 31 are currently operational).
Note: The other joint commands that handle specific activities like logistics, training, cyber and space, missiles and intelligence will be headed by three-star officers.
There are two tri-services commands as of Apr 2020. The joint command in the Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC), is a theatre command, which is headed by the chiefs of the three services in rotation. It was created in 2001. The Strategic Forces Command (SFC). It is sometimes also called the Strategic Nuclear Command Authority. It was established in 2006 and is a functional tri-services command. It is responsible for the management and administration of the country's tactical and strategic nuclear weapons.
In Dec 2019, the government appointed General Bipin Rawat as India’s first chief of defence staff (CDS), theoretically bringing India’s three armed services (Army, Navy & Air Force) under unified command for the first time. The Chief of Defence Staff is now providing a single point of advice to the government on military affairs (without controlling any of the three Services).