India may soon get a tri-service chief

NEW DELHI: The country may soon get a new tri-service chief— a four-star general like the Army, IAF and Navy chiefs— to ensure synergy in training, logistics, planning and procurements among the forces.

In the longer run, the country will have theatre commands to integrate its air, land and sea assets under single operational commanders for a greater military punch from limited budgetary resources. These were among the major takeaways from the combined commanders' conference at Dehradun's Indian Military Academy, which had PM Modi and defence minister Manohar Parrikar brainstorming with the military brass.

There was no official word on the military deliberations in the backdrop of the Election Commission warning to the government that the conference should not be used as a platform to make any public speech or announcement that may "affect" the electoral process in poll-bound Uttarakhand.

But sources said the PM received a series of presentations on Saturday on issues ranging from operational preparedness and infrastructure development along the borders with China and Pakistan as well as the long pending reforms in the country's higher defence management.

Admiral Sunil Lanba, General Bipin Rawat and Air Chief Marshal B S Dhanoa attended the huddle. The proposed reforms range from creating the post of the fourth four-star general and theatre commands to re-energizing joint training and doctrines.

"Unified structures, first in the shape of tri-service organisations or agencies and then full-fledged commands to handle space, cyberspace and special operations, are also on the anvil," said a source. The NDA government acknowledges the crucial reform to have a chief of defence staff (CDS) or a permanent chairman of the chiefs of staff committee (CoSC), in addition to the three existing chiefs, cannot be delayed any longer.

"The post of a permanent chairman of CoSC (which currently comprises the three service chiefs, with the senior most acting as the head) or CDS is likely to be created within this year," said the source.

"Issues about how he will relate to the government as well as the three chiefs, who will continue to operationally run their forces, have been fine-tuned. The Cabinet, however, will take the final decision," said the source.