Reforms/Restructuring of the Higher Defence Organization of India

WEBINAR: 28 SEP 2020 18:00 IST - 20:30 IST
CABINET COMMITTEE ON SECURITY, DEFENCE PLANNING COMMITTEE, CHIEF OF DEFENCE STAFF, DEPARTMENT OF MILITARY AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF DEFENCE, CHIEFS OF STAFF COMMITTEE, JOINT INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE, INTEGRATED THEATRE COMMANDS & A GENERAL POLICY VIEW ON RESTRUCTURING THE INDIAN ARMED FORCES
Speakers
Gen Shankar Roychoudhury (Retd)
ACM Arup Raha (Retd)
Admiral D K Joshi (Retd)
Lt Gen J R Mukherjee (Retd)
Lt Gen Prakash Menon (Retd)
Vice Admiral P K Chatterjee (Retd)
Lt Gen Praveen Bakshi (Retd)
Maj Gen Arun Roye (Retd) – Moderator
Sameer and Elizabeth from Stimson Centre
The speakers will participate in the Webinar and would speak for 10 to 15 mins each on the subject.

• Rationalization & Reforms in the Structure of Higher Defence Organisation (HDO) is the need of the hour to efficiently mitigate the evolving threats to India's National Security. The efforts should be aimed at transforming the Armed Forces to be:
  • Lean & Mean by enhancing the Tooth to Tail Ratio.
  • Focused in development of Military Capabilities to match the threats, including Two-Front Collusive threat as well as Sub-conventional, Cyber & Space-based threats.
  • Progressive in elimination of existing Redundancies & Duplication of Assets & Infrastructure to cut costs.
  • Determined to ensure greater Jointness in every sphere of military endeavour, ie, Joint Structures for Intelligence, Training, Maintenance, Logistics, Acquisition of weapon systems & equipment, Budget management and more importantly in formulation of Operational Plans & their Execution.
  • Prudent in Prioritisation of Long Term Integrated Perspective Plans(LTIPP) based on higher directions through National Security Strategy(NSS) & Military Strategy(MS) on Threat Perception , National Objectives & Aspirations and availability of Budgetary Support.
• The Government has recently initiated Reforms in the HDO by appointing a Defence Planning Committee headed by the NSA, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and establishing the Department of Military Affairs (DMA) in the MOD. These reforms & restructuring have been in the limelight for at least two decades since several high-powered Committees set up by the Govt had strongly recommended the institution of either Permanent Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee or CDS to enhance Jointness & function as the Single -point Military Advisor to the Govt. The CDS would operate through the DMA & HQs Integrated Defence Staff (IDS) to shape the Nation's future military aspirations.
• What however still needs attention is the functioning of the Cabinet Committee on Security; the detailed functioning of the National Security Council and its advisory Body; the Defence Planning Committee; the creation of a truly Integrated Ministry of Defence by creation of the Departments of the Army, Navy and the Air Force; reinstitution of the Joint Intelligence Committee and restructuring Military Intelligence; Redefining role and functioning the COSC particularly if Integrated Theatre Commands are to be created.
• The next obvious stride for many, in the Restructuring of the Armed Forces would be perhaps the Reduction in the number of Operational & Functional Commands of the three Services, based on Geographical demarcation, co-locating them in proximity, retaining only minimum essential Theatre Command HQs each of Army, Navy & Air Force in the Region to integrate, train, plan & conduct Operations for focused jointness in achieving military objectives. Strategic community is already thinking ahead for establishment of Integrated Theatre Commands (ITC), also based on Geographical division, threat perception & pre-eminence of Indian Ocean Region in our Maritime dominance. In ITC all components of the Army, Navy & AF assets would be integrated under the Theatre Commander of the Geographical Region. This logically would be a step higher than pure jointness amongst the three Commands of the Services & the Control would need to shift to CDS from individual Service Chiefs.
• The questions & doubts which would require resolution are:
  • Would it be possible for the CDS & DMA to deliver on the stated objectives?
  • What would be the Roles & responsibilities of the Service Chiefs, viz, COAS, CNS & CAS?
  • Who would the Theatre Commander report to? RM, CDS or Service Chief of individual Service?
  • Would the CDS have powers of Command & Control, especially over ITC Commanders?
  • Is there a need for ITC in Indian context when there are serious pitfalls witnessed across the world in execution of war under the ITC concept? The US & China models in their present forms have not been found suitable for India.
  • Is the newly created Defence Planning Committee or the NSC now superfluous – what restructuring is required
  • Is jointness amongst the three Services the real issue or is it non-allocation of funds & delayed acquisition of war-fighting equipment as well as non-empowerment of Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee the actual issue?
  • There is an excellent template of jointmanship - The 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War. Should we formalize the Structure & Methodology of jointness based on such an eventful & outstanding victory in military history, may be with some structural & procedural changes?
  • "Are we trying to Fix a System that ain't Broken? The Remedy may prove to be Worse than the Disease."
• The envisaged Restructuring & Reforms may concentrate on
  • Strengthening the functioning of the CDS, DMA and new Departments of the Army, Navy and Air force in the restructured MOD with adequate Powers & Efficient Organizational Structure taking care of shortcomings in the earlier dispensation of Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee as well as the enormous Bureaucratic control over matters military.
  • Suitable changes in Allocation of Business (AOB) & Transaction of Business(TOB) Rules of the Govt to match Accountability with Power.
  • CDS has the plate full, responsible for the functioning of Tri-Services Operational Commands, viz, Strategic Forces Command, Andaman Nicobar Command, Space, Cyber & Special Ops Divisions (to be upgraded to Opl Commands) & joint training, acquisition of equipment as well as HADR operations.
  • Reduction of numerous Commands of the Armed Forces to a few based on Geographical formulations to achieve greater & meaningful jointness amongst the three Services Opl Commands.
  • Formation of Integrated Functional Commands for Training, Maintenance & Logistics.
  • Need for a progressive reforms plan compared to major large-scale overhaul of the existing system merits consideration.