Creating deliberate confusion in formation of HQ Theatres
By
Colonel Awadhesh Kumar, Retd
In case those uninitiated in affairs military or even the so called military analysts from civil side are made observers at any of the Defence Services sand model discussions, specially during Junior Command Course at Army War College or the Defence Services Staff College, their first reaction will be …..OMG ! do they belong to the same Army?
However only such “fierce fights” later lead to solid workable plans by Staff Officers at various Formation and they also weld a very fine tuned fighting machine during actual combat. All differences of Arms, Services, Regiments, colour of lanyard, berret and even Uniform vanish, once the debate is over and the Commander gives out his overall broad outline plan. The Staff then gets into action to give it a proper shape, iron out the wrinkles and fine tune the seeming diversity.
Presently the debate is going on for theaterization of the functioning of the three Armed Forces. This will also encompass some of the other assets available at the National level. Military people are speaking out their mind, just as they do during the Sand Model discussions.
So speaking at a webinar organised by the Global Counter Terrorism Council, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) said something about the Indian Air Force (IAF). Many were quick to interpret this as terming the IAF as a ‘supporting arm’ akin to artillery and engineers that support the fighting units/ formations in Combat. He also added, without hesitation that the IAF must understand that it also has a charter to provide support to the ground forces in time of operations.
There was nothing wrong in stating the above, except that as CDS, General Bipin Rawat does not have this luxury or the freedom to express such views publicly. There will be debates but now as CDS, he must moderate them and not jump in with his own arguments.
The nay sayers and those wanting to put spanners in the process of Theaterization, all have found an opportunity after the avoidable “argument” between the CDS and the Chief of Air Staff. The IAF has many roles and is not just confined to air defence or air offence. In fact, in future, massive switching of Forces through airlift/ aerial delivery of men and material will be one of the major tasks of the IAF in a two front war scenario. In recent years, it has played a stellar role in Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations, which have become a major part of military operations for most of the Armed Forces of the World. IAF has other important roles too to play in future wars that are also likely to be fought in air and space. However all these will not be any single service affair but a Combined functioning of a fine tuned tri Services ORCHESTRA.
It seems, the rattled bureaucracy too has jumped in and trying very cleverly to throw spanners, here and there, knowing fully well that now it cannot stop the moving Juggernaut of Theaterization. The Media apart from “ fanning” the so called “disputes” among the three Forces has already firmed up the word Theatre Command. It should be aware that in the military there is something called A GLOSSARY OF MILITARY TERMS. By the time Young Officers complete their respective Young Officers Course, they must get familiar with most of the GLOSSARY Its main aim is to ensure that whenever any military Terminology is used then it conveys the same meaning to every single individual.
So instead of using the word Theatre Command, it should be referred either only as Theatre or as HQ Theatre. Alternatively, all Commands should change over to respective geographical Army/Air Force/ Navy i.e. Western Army, Northern Army, South Western Air Force etc.
The Theatre or HQ Theatre is not going to act like a single Service Command HQ but will COMMAND and coordinate the functioning of C-In-Cs of each defence services and commanders of Para Military Component, CAPF Component, Intelligence Services Component, Border Roads Component and any other civil asset specifically placed under it.
Each of the 17 existing commands is headed by a Army C-in-C/Air C-in-C/ Naval C-in C who are three Star Officers (artificially!!!!!!!They should be four star as in many other countries) but in the Pay Level 18 which also has the Secretaries of Govt of India. These C-in -Cs will become the Component Commanders reporting to the Joint Forces Theatre Commander.
Now coming to the Theatres, whatever permutation or combination, it will work out to Five Theatres and few independent tri services Commands. So no one should worry as to how the present 17 Single Service Commands and two Tri Services Commands will get accommodated. They will not become redundant after the formation of Integrated Theatres. It’s a red herring thrown in by those who fear that per force Theatre Commanders will have to be given Four Stars. There is nothing wrong in this. In case so many other Civil posts can exist at pay level 19 along with the Cabinet Secretary, then why not have, a VCDS, the three Services Chiefs and the Five Theatre Commanders all with four stars along with CDS in the Pay Level 19. The rank of all those in pay level 18 may be changed to Captain Generals/Fleet Admiral/Air Fleet Marshal.
Yes, Principal Staff Officers (PSOs) at the Services Headquarters will have to get reorganized in the new command and control structure among the HQ IDS, Services HQ and the Theatre HQ. These changes in rank structure/Stars/HQ reorganization are certainly not insignificant, but they are also not insurmountable. All pay, perks and status, vis-à-vis the civilians must get equated properly. In case required, just like the USA, a bill may be passed by the parliament fixing the total number of posts in the four Star rank of the military and Similar status posts in the Civil. This bill must also lay down the exact military Chain of Command too.
The organisational ethos of the services is very accommodative and full of espirit de corps towards any one who joins the set up. Though to any outsider not forming part of, it may look domineering. The ingrained mindset and biases do exist but get ironed out in no time. In fact most of the NDA ACAs/ BCAs/ SERGEANTS (most hated) prove to be most helpful to their juniors in later years. As it is, the Paramilitaries ….Assam Rifles, Coast Guard and the SFF has no problem operating with the Forces. Similarly even the Central Armed Police Forces, Foreign Service officers and others from Civil should not consider themselves inferior or outsiders. Once they form part of the set up, they will be treated just as part of the family. Things at Dimapur or Darbuk are totally different than things at Delhi !!!!!
Therefore it is just the vested interests in the Civil who have started talking about inter Services rivalry …. It will always exist as a game which Services love to play but the game gets suspended in the Combat Zone, as a rule which OUTSIDERS will never never understand.
So the Civil has apprehension as to how this attitudinal change will be brought about When members of civilian bureaucracy also join the HQ THEATRE. Of course they have to reconcile to the fact that they will form a part of the decision-making in the new set-up like all the other Staff Officers and function accordingly. This may not be so easy for the self conscious Civil Services. Surely those coming from Civil Services on Theatre HQ Staff will be assigned tasks for which they are best suited.
In fact in time to come, selected officers in CAPF at Commandant and upwards level and in Civil Services from Deputy Secretary and above level will have to send for Junior Command, Senior Command, Staff College and NDC Courses for becoming eligible for posting to Command HQ, Theatre HQ, Services HQ, HQ IDS and even to DMA. An officer heading the Panchayti Raj Department in some State will certainly not be acceptable as Director or Joint Secretary in the DMA.
Last but not the least is the careful selection of the locations of each of the Theatre HQ. This must be looked at from all angles of geographical spread of the Theatre, military security, lines of communication (road, rail and air connectivity including an IAF base), availability or creation of all necessary infrastructure including modern township for the personnel. As per the media reports, one Theatre South Western Theatre is likely to be located at or near Jaipur. All these will entail acquisition of additional land etc and lots of liaising with various State Governments and lots of financial planning too.
So while the larger overall issues are being debated, such as the Role, the new command and control structure, before the ITCs are created, it would be not a bad idea to give some recommendations from outside the Forces set up. Firstly is the Chain of Military Command. It is recommended that till we mature further as a democracy the chain of Military Command should be :
Supreme Commander
(Through Cabinet Committee Security)
|
Chief of Staff Committee
|
Theatre Commander
Secondly the Chain of Administration may be Raksha Mantri —— DMA/ DoD ——– HQIDS/ Services HQ —— Theatre HQ —Component Commanders (on purely service matters they will have direct communication with Service HQ with information to Theatre).
Thirdly the five theatres should be North Western Theatre(Northern Army, Western Army, Western Air Force), South Western Theatre (South Western Army, Southern Army. Western Navy), Southern Theatre (Southern Navy, Southern Air Force, Eastern Navy, A& N Command, ATTK&K Area), Eastern Theatre (Eastern Army, Eastern Air Force, Bengal & Orissa Naval Area) and Central Theatre (Central Army, Central Air Force).
