Military veterans, experts laud Modi's CDS move

New Delhi: Military veterans as well as strategic and defence experts on Thursday hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcement of creating the post of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), saying it was a long pending move that will help in greater integration of the three services.

Gen (retd) V P Malik, the former chief of the army who led the force during the Kargil conflict in 1999, described it as a "historic step" that will ensure better jointmanship and multi-disciplinary coordination.

"Thank you PM Modi for announcing historic step of institution of CDS. This step will make our national security more effective and more economical. It will ensure better jointmanship and multi-disciplinary coordination. Salute!" Malik tweeted.

Admiral (retd) Sunil Lanba, former navy chief and ex-chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee, said it is a great step, which was "long overdue".

"What had been worked out for the permanent chairman of Chiefs of Staffs, if the same role and responsibility are given to CDS, (then) there will be a greater level of integration both in planning and management of the (defence) budget," Lanba said.

Air Vice Marshal (retd) Manmohan Bahadur said one should wait for details of how the government plans to take forward the process of creation of CDS.

"The details are yet to be announced as that will determine inter-say responsibility of the CDS, the three service chiefs and the defence secretary.

It also has to be known whether he will also be the operational head or would it be as envisaged by the Kargil review committee which said the CDS would not be the operational head. These vital details are awaited," Bahadur said.

In a landmark military reform, Modi, in his Independence Day speech, announced that the country will now have a CDS as head of the tri-services, a proposal pending since the Kargil conflict in 1999.

The CDS will be senior to the service chiefs and his primary role will be to work towards increasing operational coordination among the army, the navy or the air force and deal with India's national security with a comprehensive approach.

He will also act as a single-point military adviser to the prime minister and defence minister on key defence and strategic issues.