Operation Sindoor: Rajnath Singh Highlights Tri-Services Synergy as Blueprint for Future Military Operations

Rajnath Singh emphasized the critical importance of synergy among the three military services during his address. (File)

New Delhi:

Defense Minister Rajnath Singh declared on Tuesday that the tri-services synergy demonstrated during Operation Sindoor, with its unified real-time operational coherence, stands as a "living example" of delivering decisive results and should become the standard for all future military operations.

Speaking at an event, Singh emphasized that jointness among the three services is not merely a policy matter but a survival necessity in today's rapidly evolving security landscape, indicating the government's determination to implement the much-discussed theaterisation plan.

The Defense Minister's comments came approximately a month after Air Chief Marshal A P Singh suggested that the armed forces should not be pressured into implementing theater commands, instead proposing the establishment of a joint planning and coordination center in Delhi comprising senior military leadership to ensure tri-services synergy.

Singh argued that "compartmentalisation" must be replaced by open sharing and collective learning in the current security environment.

"Our government aims to further enhance jointness and integration among the tri-services. This isn't just a policy matter but a survival requirement in the rapidly changing security landscape," he emphasized.

Singh highlighted how the Indian Air Force's Integrated Air Command and Control System worked harmoniously with the Army's Akashteer air defence system and the Navy's Trigun, forming a joint operational backbone during the May 7-10 conflict between India and Pakistan.

Stressing the importance of synergy among the three services, the Defense Minister stated that the path to jointness requires dialogue, understanding, and respect for traditions, adding that the services must acknowledge each other's challenges while collaboratively developing new systems.

"During Operation Sindoor, the tri-services synergy created a unified, real-time operational picture. It enabled commanders to make timely decisions, improved situational awareness, and minimized the risk of fratricide," he said.

"This exemplifies how jointness delivers decisive results, and this success must become the benchmark for all future operations," he added.

Singh was addressing a seminar organized by the Indian Air Force (IAF).

The Defense Minister noted that the evolving nature of warfare, combined with the complex interaction of traditional and non-traditional threats, makes jointness an essential operational necessity rather than an option. "Jointness has become fundamental to our national security and operational effectiveness today."

"While each service has the capability to respond independently, the interconnected nature of land, sea, air, space, and cyberspace makes collaborative strength the true key to victory," he added.

Singh referenced the recent Combined Commanders' Conference in Kolkata where Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself highlighted the importance of jointness and integration.

The Defense Minister explained that over decades, each service had developed distinct operational practices, inspection frameworks, and audit systems based on their unique experiences across different terrains.

He commended the Armed Forces' resilience in operating under diverse conditions from snow-covered peaks to deserts, dense forests, deep seas, and open skies while noting that such valuable knowledge often remained confined within individual services.

"If the Army developed something, it stayed within the Army. If the Navy or Air Force developed something, it remained within their respective domains. This compartmentalisation has restricted the sharing of valuable lessons," he observed.

The Defense Minister insisted that in today's security environment, such compartmentalisation must give way to open sharing and collective learning.

"The world is transforming rapidly. Threats have become significantly more complex, and we must recognize that no single service can operate in isolation. Interoperability and jointness are now essential for success in any conflict," he stated.

Following evident differences on the theaterisation plan at a military conclave in Mhow last month, particularly after the Air Chief Marshal's comments, Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan stated that the "dissonance" in the military regarding the proposed tri-services commands would be addressed with the "best national interest" in mind.

The government announced the theaterisation plan in 2019 to enhance synergy among the three services. However, no significant progress has been made toward its implementation.