Adapting with changing times: More restructuring at the Army Headquarters soon

In an effort to fully optimize the resource funding and for the transformation of the Indian Army, restructuring of the Headquarters is set to take off. A Government Sanction Letter (GSL) for creating two new posts of Deputy Chief (Strategy) and Director-General Information Warfare has been received which will allow the restructuring to take place.

What changes are expected?

Based on the findings of one of the studies, a new post of Deputy Chief Strategy (DCS) has been carved out – he will be responsible for all operational issues. This will be under one vertical to be headed by him. Now, the General Rashtriya Rifles has been re-named as the Deputy Chief Strategy.

Area of his responsibilities

Lt General Paramjit Singh will be the new Deputy Chief Strategy. He will now replace the Director General Military Operations (DGMO) as one the Principal Staff Officers of the Army Chief.

Besides strategy planning, intelligence gathering, his office will be responsible for many tasks including operational logistics movement of fuel, equipment and vehicles.

Who all will report to the DCS office?

In an effort to make decision making easier, now, the DGMO and Military Intelligence; Operational Logistics (DGOL) and Director General (Information Warfare).

Additional expense?

No! According to sources, this is not an additional post; therefore there is no financial outgo. And this has been carved out of an already existing post of Director. The model is already operational and the GSL was awaited for the creation of new posts.

More about the DGIW

He will have the media outreach wing under him. This means he will be handling the misinformation on social media, timely release of images, information and videos to the media which includes electronic, newspapers and web-portals.

In the current structure each DG has been reporting to the Vice Chief of the Indian Army, who is already dealing with multiple issues. Though each DG was reporting separately to the Vice Chief, it was creating communication gaps and impacting the smooth functioning.

The operations of the Indian Army on a daily basis and the coordination with the Ministry of Defence is managed by the office of the Vice chief.

Other studies

They include the formation of the Integrated Battle Groups (IBG)

Cadre Review of officers

And, the review of terms and conditions of Junior Commissioned Officers (JCO) and Other Ranks (OR).

View of an Indian Army Veteran

“The Indian Army has been evolving over the years and has been structuring and restructuring itself keeping in mind its operational commitments and responsibilities. Warfare is getting complex and needs to be addressed appropriately. We have China who has activated the Line of Actual Control and uses it as a prick point to push its agenda in as per its policy enunciated by the CCP.

The Indian Defence Services and the Indian Army in particular has to gear up to counter the three Warfare’s strategy,” Lt Col Manoj K Channan (Retd), tells Financial Express Online.

What is the 3W strategy?

It’s a study by itself.

“For the past decade, China is known to have actively used ‘three warfares’ (3Ws) strategy—media, psychological and legal warfare—to weaken its adversaries in regions constituting what it perceives to be its ‘core interests’. While a wide range of tools have been deployed, the attacks have remained mostly confined to Taiwan and South-East Asian states involved in the territorial disputes in the South China Sea. But with Beijing’s influence in South Asia and the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) growing, there is evidence emerging of the 3Ws strategy being put to use against India. The evolving Chinese 3Ws strategy goes beyond mere propaganda wars and misinformation campaigns. Expanding conventional war dynamics into the political domain, the 3Ws appear aimed at undermining India’s organizational foundations and target military morale. More disquietingly, the strategy appears designed to subdue India without even needing to fight,” the Indian Army veteran explains.

According to him, “The focus of the Senior Military leadership has to be to train the next generation of officers at the Army War College Mhow to review the course content and redesign its training methodology.

In an era of Cyber Attacks, Artificial Intelligence, Internet of things, Machine Learning and drone warfare with precision attacks is something we need to focus on.”

“ADG Vigilance & Human Rights, has also got formal clearance, and as per reports is going to be headed by an IPS officer. This is something which has not been understood as the Indian Army Human Rights record and Discipline and Vigilance branch had been working well and efficiently. This is a retrograde step and may lead to functional inefficiencies. The office of the CDS should have reposed more faith in the organisation he heads. Hopefully better sense will prevail and this post is done away with,” Lt Col Channan concludes.