CDS: Separate J&K theatre command soon
He said under the study J&K could be a single theatre command.
New Delhi: India will have a peninsular command for maritime security, a separate J&K theatre command, and air defence command, said Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Bipin Rawat on Monday.
He said that India will start rolling theatre command by 2022 but air defence command will be the first to be set up by the beginning of 2021 and a peninsular command by end of 2021.
Gen. Rawat said that by the end of 2020 directive will be issued to set up a study group for the theatreisation, under which personnel and assets from Army, Navy and Air Force in an area will come under single commander to effectively strike at the enemy.
He said under the study J&K could be a single theatre command.
Currently Kashmir Valley till Akhnoor is under Indian Army’s Northern Command and the rest of the Jammu region comes under Western Command.
Gen. Rawat said that there could be 2-5 theatre commands along the western and northern borders.
He said that there could be either one command for China or two separate commands one east of Nepal and another west of Nepal.
Gen. Rawat further said that Navy’s eastern and western command could be combined under one commander, the Peninsular Command as India face threats like 26/11.