In a significant move to make India’s armed forces work more closely together, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has now authorised Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan to issue joint orders to the Army, Navy, and Air Force.
This is a big change from the way things worked before. Until now, when a decision affected more than one service, each service would issue its own set of instructions separately. That meant more paperwork, more delays, and often, more confusion.
With this new system, one joint order from the CDS can now cover all three forces at once.
First Joint Order Already Issued
Soon after getting the green light, the CDS issued the first joint order related to how these future instructions will be approved, announced, and numbered.
According to the defence ministry, this step is part of a larger effort to streamline procedures, cut down on overlaps, and boost cooperation across the services.
“It also marks the beginning of a new era of jointness and integration, reinforcing the Armed Forces’ unity of purpose in serving the nation,” the ministry said in its official statement.
Laying the Groundwork for Theaterisation
This change isn’t happening in isolation. It’s part of a bigger push by the government to roll out what’s called the theaterisation model — a plan to reshape the way India’s military operates during war and peace.
Under theaterisation, the idea is simple: bring the Army, Navy, and Air Force units together under common commands based on geography, rather than keeping them siloed. For example, one theatre command might handle all military operations in the western sector, with soldiers, warships, and fighter jets all working together under one boss.
Right now, each service has its own separate command structure. The theaterisation model aims to change that by forming joint commands that combine all the forces’ strengths.
A Step Toward Modernisation and Efficiency
The defence ministry called this latest move a major step in modernising India’s defence structure.
“In a major step towards modernisation and transformation of the armed forces, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has authorised the Chief of Defence Staff and Secretary, Department of Military Affairs, to issue joint instructions and joint orders for all three services,” it said.
The goal is to make the forces more transparent, more efficient, and better coordinated—especially during high-pressure operations or national emergencies.
Why This Matters
India boasts a large and powerful military. But for quite some time, the Army, Navy, and Air Force have fought alongside one another, with mutual coordination being somewhat low due to the absence of time-sensitive orders.
Today, in modern warfare, these sorts of conditions are never acceptable. Threats can arise very fast, from any place, be it land, sea, or in the air.
Conferment with the power to issue joint orders means that Indian military leadership can now strike more quickly and decisively. This is in essence the first step to contemporary structuring of the military in some of the world’s best-watched nations like the U.S. and Russia.
Now that the first joint order has been issued, more are expected to follow as part of this transition.
