Chain of Command in Defence

The three basic components of Indian defence forces are the army, navy and air force, each with its unique fighting profile, separate heads and multiple commands that are vertically split in terms of their command structure. The Indian Army and Indian Air Force have seven commands each while the Indian Navy has three commands. These commands are scattered across the nation and don't coincide geographically. The proposed four theatre commands: air defence, maritime, integrated eastern and integrated western theatre commands, will promote 'jointness' among the three branches of the armed forces. It will ensure increased coordination to boost the overall fighting capabilities of the Indian armed forces, create capacities to adapt to the requirements of hybrid warfare along with seamless command centres to meet future challenges. Defence governance systems and organisational structures generally facilitate preparedness planning and management. The Chief of the Defence Force Preparedness Directive (CPD), in combination with the Australian Theatre Operational Preparedness Requirement (ASTOPR) and the system of annually renegotiated Organisational Performance Agreements (OPA), create a coherent governance framework resourced and controlled through the Defence Management and Finance Plan (DMFP). The ANAO found that this framework provides a strong basis for policies, guidelines, directives and financial management arrangements to be devised to satisfy ADF preparedness requirements. The military chain of command is such an integral part of military life that you'll be required to memorize your basic training chain of command within the first week or two of arrival. In fact, your instructors will often ask you questions about the chain of command, and this book will probably be your first written test during basic training.