The tri-services synergy with unified real-time operational coherence demonstrated during Operation Sindoor was a "living example" of delivering decisive results and it must become the benchmark for all future military actions, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Tuesday.
In an address at an event, he asserted that jointness among the three services is not only a matter of policy but a matter of survival in the fast-changing security environment, seen as an indication that the government was determined to implement the much talked about theaterisation plan.
The defence minister's remarks came over a month after Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal A P Singh suggested that the armed forces must not come under any pressure to roll out theater commands, and proposed the setting up of a joint planning and coordination centre in Delhi comprising top military brass to ensure tri-services synergy.
The defence minister argued that "compartmentalisation" must give way to open sharing and collective learning in today's security climate.
"Our government's objective is to further promote jointness and integration among the tri-services. This is not only a matter of policy but a matter of survival in the fast-changing security environment," he underlined.
Mr Singh highlighted how the Indian Air Force's Integrated Air Command and Control System worked in unison with the Army's Akashteer air defence system and the Indian Navy's Trigun, making it a joint operational backbone during the May 7 to 10 conflict between India and Pakistan.
Underlining the importance of synergy among the three services, the defence minister said the path to jointness lies in dialogue, understanding and respect for traditions, adding the services must honour each other's challenges while building new systems together.
"During Operation Sindoor, the tri-services synergy produced a unified, real-time operational picture. It empowered commanders to take timely decisions, enhanced situational awareness, and reduced the risk of fratricide," he said.
"This is the living example of jointness delivering decisive results and this success must become the benchmark for all future operation," he said.
Mr Singh was speaking at a seminar organised by the Indian Air Force (IAF).
The defence minister said that the evolving character of warfare, combined with the complex interplay of traditional and non-traditional threats, makes jointness a core operational necessity rather than a matter of choice. "Jointness has become a fundamental requirement for our national security and operational effectiveness today." "While each of our services possesses the capacity to respond independently, the interconnected nature of land, sea, air, space and cyberspace makes collaborative strength the true guarantor of victory," he added.
Mr Singh recalled the recent Combined Commanders' Conference held in Kolkata where Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself had underlined the importance of jointness and integration.
The defence minister explained that over decades, each service had developed operational practices, inspection frameworks and audit systems based on their distinct experiences across geographies.
He paid tributes to the Armed Forces' resilience in operating in diverse conditions from snow-clad peaks to deserts, dense forests, deep seas, and open skies while pointing out that such hard-won knowledge often remained confined within a single service.
"If the Army developed something, it remained with the Army. If the Navy or Air Force developed something, it remained within their own walls. This compartmentalisation has limited the cross-sharing of valuable lessons," he observed.
The defence minister urged that in today's security climate, such compartmentalisation must give way to open sharing and collective learning.
"The world is changing rapidly. Threats have become far more complex and we must acknowledge that no single service can operate in isolation. Interoperability and jointness are now essential for success in any conflict," he said.
After sharp differences on the theaterisation plan was on full display at a military conclave in Mhow last month, especially after the Air Chief Marshal's remarks, Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan said the "dissonance" in the military on the proposed tri-services commands will be addressed considering the "best national interest".
The government had announced the theaterisation plan in 2019 to ensure greater synergy among the three services. However, no visible forward movement has been made to implement it.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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