THE SOUTHERN Army Commander, Lieutenant General CP Mohanty, said on Saturday that a number of studies were underway to decide a suitable model for Indian Armed forces towards setting up the joint theatre command structures. He also highlighted the need to enhance amphibious operational capabilities of Armed forces.
Lt Gen Mohanty, who is soon slated to move as Vice Chief of the Army Staff, was interacting with the media at the Headquarters of the Southern Command in Pune. When asked how the role of Southern Command will transform as Armed forces move towards theaterisation or setting up joint theatre command structures, he said, “The Chief of Army Staff has spoken in great details about the joint theatre commands. Right now we fight our battles in different domains and the triservices coordinate resources when required. But the moment joint theatre commands come into picture, we would be ab initio integrated under one single headquarters, which would be manned by all the three services. There would be integration from the beginning, right from the process of planning and training to the execution of the operations.
As we look at the manner in which it is going to happen, there are a number of models which are available all over the world. We are studying various models. The best model that is most suited for the Indian Armed forces will be adopted in due course of time. Towards that end, there are a number of studies which are underway. As the things get approved by the government, they would be executed in a phased manner.”