CDS unveils joint doctrine for amphibious operations

Delhi : Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan on Monday unveiled a joint doctrine for amphibious operations in a key move in the national security domain.

The doctrine, released at a meeting of the Chiefs of Staff Committee (COSC), came as the government is looking at implementing the ambitious the aterisation project. The release of the key document came nearly three months after the unveiling of the joint doctrine for cyberspace operations. It was aimed at guiding military commanders in conducting cyberspace operations.

“In a landmark event, Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan released the joint doctrine for amphibious operations during the Chiefs of Staff Committee (COSC) meeting,” the defence ministry said. “The doctrine is a keystone publication which will provide guidance to the commanders for the conduct of amphibious operations in today’s complex military environment,” it said.

The amphibious capability empowers the armed forces to conduct a multitude of operations in the Indian Ocean Region, both during war and peace. “These operations are a crucial component of multi-domain operations and serve as the best example of the cohesion and integration amongst the armed forces,” the ministry said. The doctrine provides due focus on jointness and integration of armed forces in general and amphibious operations in particular.

The government has been focusing on boosting synergy among the armed forces as it looks at rolling out the theatre commands. Under the theaterisation model, the government seeks to integrate the capabilities of the army, air force and navy and optimally utilise their resources for wars and operations. As per the theaterisation plan, each of the theatre commands will have units of the Army, the Navy and the Air Force and all of them will work as a single entity looking after security challenges in a specified geographical territory.

At present, the Army, Navy and the Air Force have separate commands. The theatre commands are being planned to integrate the capabilities of the three services and to ensure optimal utilisation of their resources.