Indian Armed Forces especially the Chiefs of Army(COAS), Navy(CNS) and
Air Force(CAS), the Chief of Integrated Defence Staff(CIDS) and MOD
bureaucrats must be biting nails, awaiting a formal announcement of
the name of India’s First Chief of Defence Staff(CDS) and the powers and
charisma he wields that will affect the working of MOD and inter pares
working of the Chiefs. Ceremonial planning may have begun.
CDS has been given no command functions. He will have a new
Department in MOD and be the Principal Adviser which was put with the
NSA as he headed a Chiefs Committee, now as a Cabinet Minister. History
needs to be heeded as access to PM in India as head of the Cabinet
matters as India runs on Cabinet Control. President is Commander-in-Chief
only in name. PM retains the powers.
Military is all about Command and Control and Navy is the only service
that ensures that proper C&C go together. If a ship from one command
goes to another Command it is CHOPPED BY SIGNAL to that command and
if it serves 3 months then the ACRs which is the power of Command, are
written by the new Command as that Command controls that ship and its
operations which are always heavy, with shortage of platforms. No Luxury
of a big Army. Economy brings in efficiency and MAKE DO IN INDIA.
Even today Air Defence, Control and Command of Attack Helicopters and
AD Missiles control and Army IAF IFF and decision making on these issues
rankles the Army and Air Force. AMPHIBIOUS operations command and
LSD choice is contested between Army, IAF and Navy. In the 1960s Navy
had to take over Command and Control of Maritime Aviation seeing the
Boobs IAF Liberators made in the 1965 war.
MR command and control despite Coloured Forms, was a bitter battle of
the late 1960s…….over Chiefs heads. Mid level officers lost friendships
snooping on each other writing up convincing files to MOD as both were
emotional. IDF saw it first hand as a Navigator. Indian Navy fighter pilots
like Arun Prakash successfully flew Transport Super Constellation Planes,
because they were commanded to do so. It surprised the IAF.
In Navy the senior most in a plane or helicopter is the Captain of the Plane
even if he/she be a Observer, that the IAF call Navigator. Soon a Lt Cdr
lady Observer officer with 2000 hours in a P8i looks to be the CAPTAIN OF
THE P8i commanding a Lt Cdr with more hours of flying ! It will work !.
In India another feature is the personality of the Chief matters.
In 1971 Gen Sam Manekshaw set a bench mark as the Chairman of Chiefs
of Staff Committee(COSC) to act like a CDS with direct access to the
Defence Minister and Prime Minister to instill confidence for the
impending war that followed in 1971. It took months to get the machinery
going for that victory, we are forgetting.
Luckily NSA according to IDF analyses with his hard work, background of
Intelligence and personality has instilled that confidence in Surgical Strikes
and Balakot. The Indian PMs with little background on wars always needs
a trusted adviser and let’s hope CDS can fulfill that role with personality as
he will be COSC too. Rawat has worked closely with NSA and PM. Its called
experience and EQ which matters.
On the other hand COAS Gen K Sundarji took over Op PAWAN (1987-91)
with his power of command of troops and side lined COSC Chairman and
CNS Adm RH Tahiliani with his direct access to RRM Arun Singh and PM
and RM Rajiv Gandhi and Foreign Secretary Venky from South and DRDO
head Dr Arunachallam. Its all in the book Warring Nuclear Navies.
Admairal T even called it ‘Sundar’s War’ as Navy and Air Force Operations
and Intelligence were not invited to the Army Ops Room when Sundarji
took military decisions, as he took over Command and Control even from
Gen Dipender Singh. The CDS will have to bring in Jointness and many
challenges will then ease in his big task of tri-sevice training and
procurement and operations.
Manekshaw almost became CDS but Air Chief ACM Pratap Lal had
objected (in his autobiography). Manekshaw’s quip in jest was that had
he been Chief in Pakistan, that nation may have won was not taken well
by Mrs Gandhi. Jest is not a liked action by Indian politicians who correct
by saying I have been wrongly quoted!
When Admiral Nanda who was visiting Naval Dockyard in Bombay was
told by Defence Secretary on phone that Manekshaw was going to be
CDS, he remarked, ‘make any one anything as long as you do not remove a
star from me’, or words to that effect he told a gathering when giving a
forward to IDF for the book A Nation and Its Navy at War(Lancers). Rest is
history. For the last 50 years as hundreds of articles have been written
about appointment of a CDS and Admiral Sushil Kumar almost became
CDS but for IAF objection. But here appended is the OFFCIAL RELEASE for
researchers to make independent analysis.
No Rules of Business have so far been specified for the new CDS
Department and the MOD remains intact in its original form, but CDS will
be the single point advisor to the RM and also stating that the Service
Chiefs will continue to remain advisors to the RM about their own Services
seem contradictory.
The CDS it says WILL Implement Five-Year Defence Capital Acquisition Plan
(DCAP), and Two-Year roll-on Annual Acquisition Plans (AAP), as a follow
up of Integrated Capability Development Plan (ICDP) but financial sanction
may remain with Defenc Secretary with lengthy procedures..
But if Gen Bipin Rawat CDS it is the best choice in seniority and
experience and IDF WISHES CDS the very best in 2020 and his 3 year
tenure meaning age 65. Shan No Varuna. 900 WORDS REST ONLY READ IF
NEEDED & HAVE TIME !
New Delhi: Pausha 03, 1941
Tuesday, December 24, 2019
Government approves creation of the post of Chief of Defence Staff in
the rank of four star General.In a landmark decision with tremendous
reform in higher defence management in the country, the Government
has approved to create the post of Chief of Defence Staff in the rank of a
four star General with salary and perquisites equivalent to a Service Chief.
The Chief of Defence Staff will also head the Department of Military
Affairs (DMA), to be (TO BE) created within the Ministry of Defence
and function as its Secretary.
- This follows the announcement made by the Prime Minister on 15th
August 2019
in his address to the nation, inter alia, “India should not have a
fragmented approach. Our entire military power will have to work in
unison and move forward…..All the three (Services) should move
simultaneously at the same pace. There should be good coordination and
it should be relevant to the hope and aspirations of our people. It should
be in line with the changing war and security environment with the
world….. after formation of this post (CDS), all the three forces will get
effective leadership at the top level.” - The following areas will be dealt by the Department of Military Affairs
headed by CDS:
i) The Armed Forces of the Union, namely, the Army, the Navy and the Air
Force.
ii) Integrated Headquarters of the Ministry of Defence comprising Army
Headquarters, Naval Headquarters, Air Headquarters and Defence Staff
Headquarters.
iii) The Territorial Army.
iv) Works relating to the Army, the Navy and the Air Force.
v) Procurement exclusive to the Services except capital acquisitions, as per
prevalent rules and procedures. - Apart from the above, the mandate of the Department of Military
Affairs will include the following areas:
i) Promoting jointness in procurement, training and staffing for the
Services through joint planning and integration of their requirements.
ii) Facilitation of restructuring of Military Commands for optimal
utilisation of resources by bringing about jointness in operations, including
through establishment of joint/theatre commands.
iii) Promoting use of indigenous equipment by the Services. - The Chief of Defence Staff, apart from being the head of the
Department of Military Affairs, will also be the Permanent Chairman of
the Chiefs of Staff Committee. He will act as the Principal Military Adviser
to Raksha Mantri on all tri-Services matters. The three Chiefs will continue
to advise RM on matters exclusively concerning their respective Services.
CDS will not exercise any military command, including over the three
Service Chiefs, so as to be able to provide impartial advice to the political
leadership.
- As the Permanent Chairman of Chiefs of Staff Committee, CDS will
perform the following functions:
i) CDS will administer tri-services organisations. Tri-service
agencies/organisations/commands related to Cyber and Space will be
under the command of the CDS.
ii) CDS will be member of Defence Acquisition Council chaired by Raksha
Mantri and Defence Planning Committee chaired by NSA.
iii) Function as the Military Adviser to the Nuclear Command Authority.
iv) Bring about jointness in operation, logistics, transport, training,
support services, communications, repairs and maintenance, etc of the
three Services, within three years of the first CDS assuming office.
v) Ensure optimal utilisation of infrastructure and rationalise it through
jointness among the services.
vi) Implement Five-Year Defence Capital Acquisition Plan (DCAP), and
Two-Year roll-on Annual Acquisition Plans (AAP), as a follow up of
Integrated Capability Development Plan (ICDP).
vii) Assign inter-Services prioritisation to capital acquisition proposals
based on the anticipated budget.
viii) Bring about reforms in the functioning of three Services aimed at
augmenting combat capabilities of the Armed Forces by reducing wasteful
expenditure. - It is expected that this reform in the Higher Defence Management
would enable the Armed Forces to implement coordinated defence
doctrines and procedures and go a long way in fostering jointmanship
among the three Services. The country would be benefitted by
coordinated action on greater jointmanship in training, logistics and
operations as well as for prioritisation of procurements.
New Delhi: Pausha 03, 1941
Tuesday, December 24, 2019
Government approves creation of the post of Chief of Defence Staff in
the rank of four star General
In a landmark decision with tremendous reform in higher defence management
in the country, the Government has approved to create the post of Chief of Defence
Staff in the rank of a four star General with salary and perquisites equivalent to a
Service Chief. The Chief of Defence Staff will also head the Department of Military
Affairs (DMA), to be (TO BE) created within the Ministry of Defence
and function as its Secretary.
- This follows the announcement made by the Prime Minister on 15th August 2019
, in his address to the nation, inter alia, “India should not have a fragmented approach. Our entire
military power will have to work in unison and move forward…..All the three (Services) should move
simultaneously at the same pace. There should be good coordination and it should be relevant to the
hope and aspirations of our people. It should be in line with the changing war and security environment
with the world….. after formation of this post (CDS), all the three forces will get effective leadership at
the top level.”
- The following areas will be dealt by the Department of Military Affairs headed by CDS:
i) The Armed Forces of the Union, namely, the Army, the Navy and the Air Force.
ii) Integrated Headquarters of the Ministry of Defence comprising Army Headquarters, Naval
Headquarters, Air Headquarters and Defence Staff Headquarters.
iii) The Territorial Army.
iv) Works relating to the Army, the Navy and the Air Force.
v) Procurement exclusive to the Services except capital acquisitions, as per prevalent rules and
procedures. - Apart from the above, the mandate of the Department of Military Affairs will include the following
areas:
i) Promoting jointness in procurement, training and staffing for the Services through joint planning and
integration of their requirements.
ii) Facilitation of restructuring of Military Commands for optimal utilisation of resources by bringing
about jointness in operations, including through establishment of joint/theatre commands.
iii) Promoting use of indigenous equipment by the Services. - The Chief of Defence Staff, apart from being the head of the Department of Military Affairs, will also be
the Permanent Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee. He will act as the Principal Military Adviser to
Raksha Mantri on all tri-Services matters. The three Chiefs will continue to advise RM on matters
exclusively concerning their respective Services. CDS will not exercise any military command, including
over the three Service Chiefs, so as to be able to provide impartial advice to the political leadership. - As the Permanent Chairman of Chiefs of Staff Committee, CDS will perform the following functions:
i) CDS will administer tri-services organisations. Tri-service agencies/organisations/commands related to
Cyber and Space will be under the command of the CDS.
ii) CDS will be member of Defence Acquisition Council chaired by Raksha Mantri and Defence Planning
Committee chaired by NSA.
iii) Function as the Military Adviser to the Nuclear Command Authority.
iv) Bring about jointness in operation, logistics, transport, training, support services, communications,
repairs and maintenance, etc of the three Services, within three years of the first CDS assuming office.
v) Ensure optimal utilisation of infrastructure and rationalise it through jointness among the services.
vi) Implement Five-Year Defence Capital Acquisition Plan (DCAP), and Two-Year roll-on Annual
Acquisition Plans (AAP), as a follow up of Integrated Capability Development Plan (ICDP).
vii) Assign inter-Services prioritisation to capital acquisition proposals based on the anticipated budget.
viii) Bring about reforms in the functioning of three Services aimed at augmenting combat capabilities of
the Armed Forces by reducing wasteful expenditure.
- It is expected that this reform in the Higher Defence Management would enable the Armed Forces to
implement coordinated defence doctrines and procedures and go a long way in fostering jointmanship
among the three Services. The country would be benefitted by coordinated action on greater
jointmanship in training, logistics and operations as well as for prioritisation of procurements.