IAF Chief Sets Terms for Theaterisation: Centralised Control, Decentralised Execution

Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal A. P. Singh has said the Indian Air Force does not view theaterisation as an exercise to permanently divide fighter assets geographically, and has argued that any integrated military structure should be built around India's specific security requirements rather than modelled on foreign examples.

In an exclusive interview to PTI — his first comprehensive articulation on the plan — the Air Chief Marshal said the guiding principle should be "centralised control where necessary, and decentralised execution where appropriate". He said this approach would allow air power to be concentrated where it is needed most, while commanders retain the agility to act swiftly.

Theaterisation, announced in 2019, is India's most ambitious military reform since Independence. It seeks to integrate the Army, Navy and Air Force into unified commands to improve operational synergy. The proposed architecture envisages three integrated commands: a Northern Theatre Command in Lucknow focused on China, a Western Theatre Command in Jaipur to address challenges from Pakistan, and a Maritime Theatre Command in Thiruvananthapuram.

Progress on the plan has, however, been slow, with the three services holding differing views on the proposed command structures. The IAF has consistently cautioned against implementing the reform in a hurry and has expressed strong reservations about splitting its fighter squadrons under the proposed arrangements.

Air Chief Marshal Singh said air power's defining strengths were its speed, reach, flexibility and its ability to concentrate combat power rapidly at the point of decision. "An aircraft is not relevant only to the geographical area from which it operates. With aerial refuelling, long-range weapons, networked sensors, and appropriate basing, air power can be massed from considerable distances and shifted between sectors as the threat evolves," he said.

He cited recent conflicts around the world to argue that air power can decisively shape military outcomes, adding that this is precisely why the question of how it is organised matters. "We are not viewing theaterisation as an exercise to permanently divide fighter assets geographically. The IAF is fully committed to jointness and integration," he said.

Referring to Operation Sindoor, the Air Chief Marshal said the operation was carried out under a joint architecture established by the Chief of Defence Staff and the three service chiefs, in which the centralised allocation and swift reallocation of critical assets proved decisive. "Our own experience bears this out," he said.

He also emphasised that a transformation of this scale should be implemented in phases so that operational readiness is "never compromised", and warned against the "trap" of trying to predict the future battlefield with excessive certainty. He said the next conflict is likely to be faster, more autonomous and more network-dependent than previous ones.

The remarks add a detailed service-level perspective to an ongoing debate among the three forces, the Chief of Defence Staff and the Ministry of Defence over the final shape of the integrated commands. The government has not announced a revised timeline for the rollout.