Mumbai all set to become country's first tri-service common defence station

The Armed Forces intend to establish Mumbai as the nation's first "tri-service common defence station" for the Army, Navy, and Indian Air Force (IAF). This move is intended to foster unity among the three services in advance of the establishment of integrated theatre commands, The Indian Express reported.

The senior military hierarchy is currently discussing this matter, and an announcement is anticipated shortly, as stated by officials.

India does not currently have any common defence stations. The Andaman and Nicobar Command was established as a full-fledged, tri-service command in 2001. Last year, additional initiatives were implemented to promote cooperation between the services, like inter-service postings.

All Army, Navy, and IAF facilities—including logistics, infrastructure, repair and maintenance, as well as stores and supplies—would be consolidated into a single defense station, allowing for their optimal operation under a single lead service. The Navy, with its largest presence in Mumbai, will be the lead service in this case.

Currently, the three services' wings are dispersed and run independently throughout Mumbai and its suburbs. The plan calls for combining administration, infrastructure, and logistics into a single chain.

For instance, the Navy maintains a sizable armament depot at INS Karanja and is in charge of providing logistics training to Naval personnel at INS Hamla. The Army's ordnance depot, a separate training area, an air defence regiment, and IAF units will be combined for joint use by the three services.

According to an official, this will imply that the logistics, services, and works of the individual services will be integrated, resulting in a single system of delivery of supplies such as fuel and rations, as well as the ability to repair common items in one location.

The official also stated that according to the plans, all entities will share the resources of the individual services, which include training facilities, storage facilities, repair and maintenance facilities, and infrastructure like schools, hospitals, and sports complexes.

For example, the other two services also use the services of INHS Asvini, a Naval hospital in Mumbai.

According to a second official, since the goal is to have a single channel for funding and delivery and eliminate redundancy, this will result in better resource optimization and management and prevent duplication of effort.

Other officials stated that since Mumbai is the first planned common defence station, the locations of the second and third common defence stations are probably going to be Sulur, which is close to Coimbatore, and Guwahati. The IAF is probably going to be the lead service for Sulur, but the Army is probably going to be the lead service for the Guwahati station.