Theatre commanders set to be four-star generals

The defence ministry is putting the finishing touches to a plan that will add momentum to its effort to create theatre commands or so-called jointsmanship of the three services, with four-star rank theatre commanders being at the heart of this radical idea, HT learns.

- Shishir Gupta

NEW DELHI: That would put the theatre commanders- there are expected to be three, two land theatres and one maritime one - at the same rank as the three chiefs of services, with the Chief of Defence Staff coming on top of all six.

While the government is tightlipped about the military theatre commands, it is understood that the commands will be adversary specific with one maritime theatre command to handle the Indo-Pacific. Importantly, the government has decided to ensure that other verticals such as Cyber, Space, Intelligence, Missile, Drone, National Defence University and logistics command are created so that there is no loss of jobs at the three-star (Lt General), two star (Major General) or one star (Brigadier) level after the theatre commands are created. After detailed deliberations led by CDS General Anil Chauhan, the three services are believed to be on board with the theatre commands plan.