Need to bolster jointness in focus at top military meet in Kolkata
The need to enhance jointness and integration among the three services came into sharp focus on the concluding day of the Combined Commanders’ Conference (CCC) 2025
New Delhi: The need to enhance jointness and integration among the three services came into sharp focus on the concluding day of the Combined Commanders’ Conference (CCC) 2025 in Kolkata during a session chaired by chief of defence staff general Anil Chauhan, against the backdrop of Prime Minister Narendra Modi instructing the defence ministry to take swift and concrete measures to bolster greater jointness in the military to meet challenges of the future battlefield.
The discussion touched upon a raft of key aspects, including fostering interoperability in the armed forces, streamlining decision-making, and reforming institutional structures in the space, cyber, information, and special operations domains, the defence ministry said on Wednesday.
Chauhan also drew attention to emerging threats and future challenges in a rapidly evolving security landscape. He also provided a detailed update on the ‘year of reforms,’ elaborating on the action plans formulated in line with the government’s directions.
The theme for this year’s conference was Year of Reforms — Transforming for the Future.
The setting up of theatre commands for the integrated application of force, operational efficiency, and optimal resource utilisation is among the nine areas identified by the defence ministry for focused intervention in 2025, which was declared the Year of Reforms in January.
Other areas include building indigenous capabilities to strengthen the armed forces, simplifying acquisition procedures for swifter capability development, and new domains such as cyber and space.
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Defence minister Rajnath Singh is conducting a quarterly review of the defence reforms, including theaterisation, being driven by the government to boost the armed forces’ combat readiness.
Jointness among the three services is an essential prerequisite to the creation of theatre commands. The apex conference comes at a time when there are differences within the three services on theaterisation, a long-awaited reform for the best use of the military’s resources to fight future wars.
On Tuesday, Singh underscored the importance of jointness and synergy among the three services, as well as with other agencies, in line with the whole-of-nation approach, terming it essential to deal with future challenges.
Addressing the top three-day conference on its opening day, Modi on Monday asked the defence ministry to swiftly implement concrete steps to achieve greater jointness, atmanirbharta, and innovation to meet future challenges and prevail against any eventuality.
The conference also put the spotlight on adopting a technology-led approach to modern warfare, with innovations integrated seamlessly into the military’s operational doctrine. Chauhan highlighted the need to institutionalise reforms as an ongoing process, aimed at preparing the armed forces to effectively tackle challenges in an increasingly complex global environment.
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“The successful conduct of CCC-2025 marks a major step in transforming the armed forces into a more integrated, technologically advanced, and operationally agile force, fully capable of addressing multi-domain threats, safeguarding national interests and contributing to nation building, global peace and stability,” the defence ministry said in a statement.
On Tuesday, one of the highlights of the conference was the official release of the Joint Military Space Doctrine, a milestone in institutionalising the key domain as a part of the national security strategy. To be sure, China is expanding its space capabilities at a ripping pace and can potentially disable or knock out satellites. It is known to possess capabilities to disrupt satellite signals using jammers, as well as other anti-satellite technologies.
India is also working on a National Military Space Policy, with the initiatives being part of the government’s efforts to protect the country’s space-based assets and bolster military capabilities to take on new challenges.
