PM Modi Calls for Cohesion and Operational Synergy in Indian Military

During the Combined Commanders Conference on April 1, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged the tri-services military chiefs to work together and break down the barriers that exist between the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force. He questioned why there were separate messes for each of the armed services and suggested common procurement of hardware platforms to avoid duplication of resources and prioritize weapon acquisition due to the high cost of defense hardware and communication.Giving specific examples, PM Modi asked the Indian military to adapt to rapid changes in warfare as they had a government that was not afraid to take political risks. He said that the armed forces needed to contribute to nation development during peacetime while remaining prepared for war.

It is understood that PM Modi said as more than two lakh military personnel go on leave every year, they should be going to the schools and colleges in their hometowns to spread the message of India rather than remaining confined to their kith and kin.

To the present chief of the Defence Research and Development Organization, the PM asked the organization to focus on its core competencies in military and communication hardware while supporting the expansion of the MSME and start-ups in the defence sector for the “Make in India” program to flourish.

Despite PM Modi continuously emphasizing joint manship and operational synergy, the armed forces tend to function in silos with separate messes and even separate clubs and golf courses. The Indian Army has nearly 200 messes in the country and are matched in proportion by the Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force. Each service wants to acquire future weapon systems for its own use rather than operate from a joint pool of common systems like the drones or radars or heavy vehicles. Till today, the three services are not on a common radio frequency despite the Modi government harping on operational synergy.

While the creation of military theatre commands is still halfway complete, the bill introduced by the Modi government in Lok Sabha to empower command-in-chiefs or any other officers posted in tri-services organizations like Andamans and Nicobar Command and Defence Space and Cyber Command with disciplinary and administrative powers in respect to personnel serving under them. Once the Bill passes muster, it will simply activate the ANC Command, which is turning out to be the first line of defence against Chinese Navy expansion in the Indian Ocean with snooping facilities in Cambodia, Myanmar’s Coco Islands, Hambantota in Sri Lanka Gwadar in Balochistan and Chabahar port in Iran.