Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Anil Chauhan emphasized the need for a joint culture among the Indian Armed Forces during his address at the 22nd Major General Samir Sinha Memorial Lecture. Speaking on the theme "Jointmanship: The Way Ahead," he introduced the concept of "Jointness 2.0" as the future trajectory for the Army, Navy, and Air Force as they work towards establishing joint operational structures.
CDS Chauhan highlighted that "Jointness 1.0" was centered on fostering better camaraderie and consensus among the services. With this foundation in place, there is now a drive to advance to "Jointness 2.0," which involves deeper integration and joint culture development while respecting the unique attributes of each service. He emphasized the importance of distilling the best elements from each service and incorporating the highest common factors rather than settling for the least common denominators.
During his lecture, Chauhan outlined several initiatives aimed at fostering joint culture, such as the involvement of Tri-Services in national events. He also emphasized that jointness and integration are critical prerequisites for creating functional Integrated Theatre Commands. These commands will differentiate operational functions from the Raise-Train-Sustain (RTS) and administrative functions, allowing operational commanders to focus more on security matters.
The CDS underscored that the creation of Integrated Theatre Commands is not the final objective but rather the beginning of a broader set of reforms. These commands are expected to bring about numerous changes, including a shift from single-domain to multi-domain operations, the integration of space and cyber domains with traditional ones, the digitization of battlefield information, and the transition from net-centric to data-centric operations.
Stressing the necessity of these reforms, CDS Chauhan pointed out that global nations are facing new challenges and the current volatility in the world order necessitates a review of security strategies. He noted that rapid technological advancements are transforming the nature of future warfare, making it imperative for the Indian Defence ecosystem to adapt and evolve.
