Archive · 10 Jun 2025
Ex-Pilot Critical of India's Military Theaterisation Plan
Imagine the military is like a team with different players (Army, Navy, Air Force).
The current plan wants to group these players by where they are, like a team for the West (Pakistan) or North (China).
But a former Air Force pilot says this is old-fashioned.
He believes modern fights happen in space and online, not just in one place.
Instead, he suggests focusing on what each part of the military does best, like air defense or strikes.
He wants them to work together based on their jobs, not just where they are, for a better defense.
Former IAF Group Captain Ajay Ahlawat argues military theaterisation is outdated.
The current theaterisation model reorganizes forces into Integrated Theatre Commands (ITCs).
Ahlawat believes the model focuses on geographic restructuring over functional alignment.
Modern warfare emphasizes long-range strikes, cyberspace, and space-based capabilities.
Ahlawat suggests functional commands for logistics, training, and other key areas.
- Who
- Former IAF Group Captain Ajay Ahlawat
- What
- Argues against the current military theaterisation model
- When
- Recent years
- Where
- India
- Why
- The model misunderstands the demands of modern warfare, and that agility is more important than integration of decision-making
- Source
- Former IAF Group Captain
- Established by
- Department of Military Affairs
- DMA/CDS Created
- February 2020
- Theaterisation Goal
- Integrated Theatre Commands (ITCs)