A proposal for three integrated commands submitted in April is currently awaiting clearance from the Cabinet Committee on Security. Former Navy chief Sunil Lanba suggested the Air Force could retain its strategic assets while handing tactical platforms like attack helicopters to the Army to resolve inter-service divisions. Lanba also cited the coordinated military actions following the 2019 Pulwama attack as proof that joint operational leadership significantly enhances combat effectiveness. Additionally, he raised concerns over procurement delays affecting submarine building and reaffirmed the necessity of maintaining three aircraft carriers.
Key points
Inter-service coordination and unified command structures are essential to counter modern…: Inter-service coordination and unified command structures are essential to counter modern warfare threats accelerated by artificial intelligence.
The Indian Air Force favors a gradual rollout of theaterisation rather than opposing inte…: The Indian Air Force favors a gradual rollout of theaterisation rather than opposing integrated joint commands entirely.
A fleet of three aircraft carriers remains necessary to guarantee uninterrupted operation…: A fleet of three aircraft carriers remains necessary to guarantee uninterrupted operations on both Indian seaboards during refit periods.
Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1
India needs integrated theatre commands because its armed forces can no longer plan and fight wars service by service, former Navy chief Admiral Sunil Lanba (retd) has said. He described the
Indian Air Force's reluctance to divide its assets as the main obstacle.
"We cannot have 17 independent commands, none of them co-located," Lanba told TOI's Defence HQ podcast. “The need of the hour is joint planning and joint execution." With AI shortening decision cycles, he said, separate services operating in separate environments is "not going to run".
Lanba headed the Navy from 2016 to 2019 and chaired the Chiefs of Staff Committee. Asked why the reform is needed when Operation Sindoor succeeded without it, he pointed to
Pulwama. A year before the 2019 attack, he said, he had the operations directorates of the three services draw up a joint plan for a "contingency short of war", which was passed down to all commands. "That helped us when Pulwama happened, and finally it led to the Balakot incident," he said. A theatre command, with one joint commander over Army, Navy…
State officials shut down Lambda Istanbul under claims of running an unauthorized social club, intensifying pressure on advocacy organizations nationwide. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's administration increasingly frames these communities as threats to family structures despite homosexuality remaining legal. The shutdown reflects an escalating campaign to restrict civil organizing, dismantle support networks, and curb civic freedoms across the country.
Widespread Israeli bombardments across the Gaza Strip have inflicted fresh civilian casualties and further disrupted critical healthcare operations. The deadly strikes targeted vehicles and gatherings near medical hubs, compounding the destruction from an earlier attack on a major Khan Younis hospital. This continuous barrage intensifies the humanitarian emergency by severely degrading medical infrastructure and endangering personnel.
A decisive congressional sweep has reignited fierce internal debate over the Democratic Party's leadership and foreign policy stances regarding Israel. Grassroots activists and voters continue to scrutinize establishment leaders over past unconditional military aid, demanding accountability for years of Middle East policy decisions. However, top congressional incumbents retain crucial institutional support, complicating efforts by reformers to force an immediate ideological realignment.