Theaterisation
Concept and India's Reform Journey
Theaterisation (or integrated theatre commands) refers to the reorganisation of military forces into unified geographic commands that integrate all three services (Army, Navy, Air Force) under a single commander with operational authority. It replaces the existing structure of single-service commands with inter-service, geography-based operational commands.
- The Kargil Review Committee (1999) first formally recommended theaterisation and creation of a Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) to improve joint operations.
- The Shekatkar Committee (2016) proposed three theatre commands — Western, Northern, and Southern (now Maritime).
- The CDS post was created on January 1, 2020; General Bipin Rawat was the first CDS; General Anil Chauhan is the current (second) CDS.
- India currently has 17 single-service commands (Army: 7, Navy: 3, IAF: 7) plus two tri-service commands (Strategic Forces Command and Andaman & Nicobar Command).
- PM Narendra Modi's Independence Day speech (2019) explicitly called for joint operations and seamless integration of armed forces.
● Tracked since April 09, 2026 · last seen May 09, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes
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