Rajnath Singh credits ‘triservices synergy’ for decisive results during Operation Sindoor

In a separate address at the 100th Raising Day of the Military Nursing Service, Chief of Defence Staff General, Anil Chauhan, said: “While the possibility of use of nuclear weapons in our context is very low, it would be prudent to take this into our security calculus.” He added that radiological contamination requires different protocols for treatment and must be part of our training. “Preparedness against nuclear threats contributes to a deterrence against its use,” he said.

In the seminar, Singh also highlighted the importance of IAF’s Integrated Air Command and Control System (IACCS), working in unison with the Indian Army’s Akashteer and the Indian Navy’s Trigun, making a joint operational backbone during the operation.

A statement from the Defence Ministry stated the seminar was organised on the theme ‘Fostering Greater Jointness – Synergy through Shared Learning in the domain of Inspection and Audits, Aviation Standards and Aerospace Safety’ and it underscores the necessity for India’s Armed Forces to embrace deeper integration to meet the demands of modern warfare and to maximise defence preparedness.

The Defence Minister said the evolving character of warfare, combined with the complex interplay of traditional and non-traditional threats, makes jointness a core operational necessity rather than a matter of choice.

“Jointness has become a fundamental requirement for our national security and operational effectiveness today. While each of our services possesses the capacity to respond independently, the interconnected nature of land, sea, air, space and cyberspace makes collaborative strength the true guarantor of victory,” he said.

He said the government’s objective is to promote jointness and integration in the tri-services, adding that this is not only a matter of policy but also a matter of survival in the fast-changing security environment.

The Indian Express had earlier reported that the standardisation of equipment, common supply chains for logistics and procurement, combined training at all levels, more cross-postings, exposure to other services and even greater social interaction among personnel are among the steps being pushed to increase jointness and integration among the Army, Navy and Air Force, ahead of the creation of theatre commands.

OPTIONAL TRIM…

At the seminar, Singh commended the Army’s Computerised Inventory Control Group (CICG), the Air Force’s Integrated Materials Management Online System (IMMOLS) and the Navy’s Integrated Logistics Management System.

The Defence Minister noted these have already transformed logistics by bringing automation, accountability and transparency.

He said work has begun on the Tri-Services Logistics Application, which will integrate these systems to provide shared visibility of stocks, optimise cross-service resources and reduce redundant procurement.

He added that over decades, each service had developed operational practices, inspection frameworks and audit systems based on their distinct experiences across geographies.

“If the Army developed something, it remained with the Army. If the Navy or Air Force developed something, it remained within their own walls,” he said, adding that this compartmentalisation has limited the cross-sharing of valuable lessons and that it must give way to open sharing and collective learning.

“The world is changing rapidly. Threats have become far more complex and we must acknowledge that no single service can operate in isolation. Interoperability and jointness are now essential for success in any conflict,” he said.

He warned that in critical domains such as aviation safety and cyber warfare, divergence in standards could prove disastrous.

“Even a minor error in inspection can create cascading effects. And if our cyber defence systems differ across services, adversaries can exploit the gap. We must close these vulnerabilities by harmonising our standards,” he said, while stressing that integration must respect the uniqueness of each force.

“The cold of the Himalayas is not the same as the heat of the desert. The Navy faces challenges different from the Army and Air Force. We cannot impose uniformity where it does not fit. Our task is to create a shared baseline that preserves uniqueness while building interoperability and trust,” he said.

He further said that achieving jointness requires not just structural reform but also a change in mindset and called upon senior leadership at all levels to constantly communicate the value of integration to their teams.

He also said that such change will not be easy and will involve overcoming legacy habits and institutional silos.

“We will face challenges as we move towards Jointness. But through dialogue, understanding and respect for traditions, we can overcome these hurdles. Every service must feel that the others understand their challenges, and every tradition must be honoured as we build new systems together,” he said.

“Only when our Armed Forces operate in unison, in harmony, and in perfect coordination can we counter adversaries across all domains and lead India to new heights of glory. This is the need of the hour, and I am confident we will achieve it,” he said.

At the seminar, a consensus was reached on the need for greater commonality in inspection processes and exploration of opportunities to enhance interoperability among services in aviation.

A session in the seminar on Joint Aerospace Safety highlighted the importance of a unified approach to enhance safety standards and address emerging challenges.

In his address, the CDS said bio-threats, whether they are man-made, accidental or natural, are likely to increase in future. “Defence against such threats and treatment of infected persons requires different treatment protocols. We must be prepared for this in future.”

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