India Publishes Joint Doctrines to Enhance Integration of Armed Forces

India has released three new joint military doctrines to improve synergy between Army, Navy and Air Force. These include Special Forces (SF) operations, airborne and heliborne operations , and multi-domain operations, an important step towards integrated theatre commands and modernised combat readiness.

Special Forces Joint Doctrine 3-9.1

The new Special Forces doctrine provides baseline procedures, terminology and training requirements for the Para-SF (Army), Marine Commandos (Navy) and Garud Commandos (Air Force).

• It emphasizes combined training in night warfare, bad weather, electronic warfare, and precision fire.
• Existing training schools will be modernised to Joint Service Training Institutes to maintain interoperability without changing service specific command structures.
• As the doctrine has shown, SF has an important role at the level of regional command s, and it is integrated within the framework of the Integrated Defence Staff .

Airborne and Heliborne Operations Manual

This doctrine involves close integration of airborne and heliborne forces with leading edge technology and joint operations.

• It requires a rigorous training to internalize modern systems and new methods of attacking the enemy.
• A key focus is the development of agile, adaptive forces that can perform efficiently across the spectrum of low-intensity missions to high-intensity conflict.

Multi-Domain Operations Doctrinal Publication

The multi-domain doctrine seeks to imagine the integrated use of land, sea, air, space, cyber and cognitive domains .

• It is designed to offer an adaptable, flexible, and dynamic force that can organize plan and conduct joint operations across the spectrum of war.
• By pooling resources across domains, the doctrine seeks to bring more agility and the best mix in complex battlefields which are shaped by state-of-the-art technologies.

Preparing for the Future

Together, they represent revolutionary changes in warfare (largely, new technologies, artificial intelligence, and new weapons systems). Making the Case for a "Hyper-Flexible" Army They stress the need for ongoing tactical adaptation , technology absorption, and joint training to ensure operational primacy.

These steps are a significant step forward in India's defence reforms , ensuring that the armed forces are geared up for the changing security challenges of the 21st century and setting the stage for integrated theatre command frameworks.