India is set to unveil two war doctrines aimed at integrating military capabilities in the critical areas of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), and targeting to make faster decisions during war and hit the adversary harder, as the armed forces develop their own theater roadmap to achieve battlefield dominance, senior officials familiar with the matter said on Monday.
The Joint Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance and Targeting Principles, prepared by the Integrated Defense Staff at headquarters, are expected to be issued within two months, the officials said, requesting anonymity. This is the latest in a series of steps towards theater command, a long-awaited military reform to integrate the resources of the armed forces into future conflicts.
These are likely to be the first manuals – aimed at enhancing cooperation in the armed forces – to be issued under the leadership of India’s next Chief of Defense Staff, Lieutenant General NS Raja Subramani, who will take charge on May 30. Cooperation is a prerequisite for establishing theater commands.
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“From satellites, drones, and signals intelligence to radars, combined ISR to enhance situational awareness will include sensor fusion across land, sea, air, space, and cyber domains. This principle will serve as the foundational framework for integrating data from diverse sources into actionable intelligence that will enable commanders to identify threats and make timely decisions,” said one of the officials cited above.
This principle will also provide a framework for leveraging artificial intelligence to enhance joint intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) to plan and execute operations.
Another official said the joint targeting doctrine would form the basis for applying force against targets that commanders choose and prioritize. “It will enable commanders to assign targeting missions to any appropriate service to respond to in the situation. It can also be a combination of two services, depending on the mission. We are looking at integrating actions for joint effects to achieve specific outcomes. The doctrine will eliminate duplication and enhance effectiveness,” the official added.
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Subramani is expected to speed up the process of setting up joint services commands, which is the main goal of the theater campaign. These commands will integrate military elements, assets and personnel from the three services under a single commander-in-chief. The outgoing CDS, General Anil Chouhan, recently submitted a detailed proposal to strengthen the theater to the Defense Minister. The model includes establishing a China-centric Northern Theater Command in Lucknow, a Pakistan-centric Western Theater Command in Jaipur, and a Naval Theater Command in Thiruvananthapuram.
The Government has identified the establishment of theater commands for integrated application of force, operational efficiency, and optimal use of resources as a key area of focused intervention in 2025.
India has already issued joint doctrines for integrated communications engineering, special forces operations, airborne and helicopter operations, and multi-domain operations.
SS operations doctrine covers a range of topics including joint training, future weapons profile, operational imperatives, and issues related to command, control and planning. The Airborne and Helicopter Operations Manual states that their success will depend on the integration of advanced technologies, joint services cooperation, and comprehensive training to facilitate technology assimilation and synergy of tactics, techniques, and procedures.
The Joint Doctrine for Multi-Domain Operations charts the way forward for the integrated and synergistic employment of armed forces across land, sea, air, space and cyber domains to create a flexible and responsive force structure.
Last year, India notified new rules under a comprehensive law to enhance cooperation, command efficiency and operational synergy in the armed forces, weeks after the May 7-10 clash with Pakistan under Operation Sindoor, which saw the three services working jointly.
