The move towards establishing integrated theatre commands has taken a step forward with the proposal for a Joint War Room for the Army, Navy, and Air Force. The blueprint of this initiative, termed the Joint Operations Command Centre, was presented to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the three-day Combined Commanders’ Conference in Kolkata, held between 15 and 17 September.
Lessons from Operation Sindoor
According to defence officials, the push for a common war room stems from operational challenges observed during Operation Sindoor. On the night of 6–7 May, when strikes were carried out on terrorist camps in Pakistan, the three service chiefs were stationed in the Army’s war room since each force operates from separate centres. While the mission was jointly executed by the Army and Air Force, the lack of an integrated setup highlighted the need for a single command structure under the Integrated Defence Staff (IDS) headquarters, designed for missions of this scale.
Modi Stresses Jointness, Innovation, Self-Reliance
Inaugurating the conference on Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasised the importance of coordination between the three services and underscored his government’s focus on creating theatre commands. He gave the forces what he called the victory mantra of “JAI” — Jointness, Atmanirbharta (self-reliance) and Innovation.
The Prime Minister’s call for integration comes amid differing levels of readiness. While the Army and Navy have agreed to the move, final approval from the Air Force remains pending. Air Chief Marshal A. P. Singh had recently advocated for setting up a common operations command centre under IDS before rolling out full-fledged theatre commands. Following his pitch, the IDS headquarters has begun working on the proposed facility.
Defence Ministry Showcases Capabilities
The Ministry of Defence noted that the Kolkata conference opened with demonstrations centred on the proposed Joint Operations Command Centre. These included a high-impact live air defence display, air surveillance drills, as well as missile defence and counter-drone operations.
Apart from Prime Minister Modi, the gathering was attended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, the three service chiefs, and senior commanders. The biennial event brings together military and civilian leadership to deliberate on national security imperatives. This year’s theme was “Year of Transformation: Reforming for the Future”.
Rajnath Singh’s Call to Look Beyond Conventional Warfare
Addressing the armed forces on the second day, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh urged them to expand their preparedness beyond traditional war concepts. He cautioned that forces must remain alert to “hidden challenges” posed by non-traditional threats, including information, ideological, environmental, and biological warfare.
The second day also witnessed discussions on information warfare, alongside the release of the Joint Military Space Doctrine, signalling a strategic focus on emerging domains.
