Backing the Union government's plan to roll out the ambitious theaterisation model, Army Chief Gen Upendra Dwivedi, on Tuesday, said the move will streamline joint operations across the three services and improve India's capabilities to respond swiftly to any emergency or threat.
At a conference, Gen Dwivedi spoke at length about the Army's "steady progress" towards theaterisation process. He highlighted the progress being made in building critical infrastructure along the northern borders and added that this is extremely important for maintaining territorial integrity.
With theaterisation, the government intends to integrate the capabilities of the Army, the Air Force and the Navy, and optimally utilise the resources of the three services for wars and operations. According to the theaterisation plan, each of the theatre commands will have units of the Army, the Navy and the Air Force, working as a single entity to meet security challenges in a specified geographical territory.
Currently, the Army, the Navy and the Air Force have separate commands.
He reiterated that the path to peace is through deterrence, and deterrence is built on strength, and emphasised that India's strength lies not only in its military but in its collective national effort, spanning government, industry, and civil society.
He outlined the significant strides made by the Army in improving preparedness across various domains, including space, cyber and information warfare.
Further, he highlighted India's leadership in various international forums and initiatives such as the International Solar Alliance, the Global Biofuel Alliance, and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, and said these initiatives demonstrate the country's commitment to global solutions and its growing stature in the international community.
He highlighted the importance of critical importance of "information and cognitive" warfare in today's security environment and asserted that India must continue to enhance its capabilities in cyber and electronic warfare to safeguard its information ecosystem and counter disinformation.
Gen Dwivedi noted that at the operational level, the Army has been constantly upgrading its electronic warfare systems, modernising cyber defences, and integrating cutting-edge technologies to stay ahead of emerging threats.