Indian Aerospace Command likely to be set up soon

India''s long-delayed Aerospace Command may be established in the near future, Indian Army chief Gen J J Singh said, while inaugurating the Centre for Joint Warfare Studies in New Delhi on 27 August.

The concept of an Aerospace Command was floated after the 1999 Pakistan intrusion in the Kargil area, but was put on hold by the defence ministry because of a lack of funds and disagreements over whether to have a separate command for the Indian Air Force and other forces.

The Aerospace Command is envisioned as the headquarters for space technologies, and would help link radar and communications networks and be used for ballistic missile defense and intelligence gathering, an Air Force official said.

The Army chief also favoured setting up an integrated Theatre Command, comprising experts and officers from other ministries and departments, including the defence ministry and the department of science and technology. The Theatre Command would coordinate the network-centric warfare systems being integrated into the Indian defence forces.

The new Centre for Joint Warfare Studies will function under the Chief of Integrated Staff to the Chiefs of Staff Committee, headed by Lt Gen H S Lidder. Its objective is to integrate and train joint warfare professionals, promotion of joint strategies among the three services and to conduct studies and research in joint war fighting.