India Authorizes Unified Joint Orders for Armed Forces in Major Defence Reform

Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has authorized the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and Secretary, Department of Military Affairs (DMA), to issue Joint Instructions and Joint Orders binding on all three military services. The decision replaces the earlier system where each service — Army, Navy, and Air Force — issued separate directives on common matters.

Image Source: Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff

According to the Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff (HQ IDS), this reform introduces a more agile, coordinated, and unified command structure, streamlining procedures, eliminating redundancies, and fostering operational coherence across services.

The first Joint Order emphasizes the need for procedural simplification, greater efficiency, transparency, and enhanced synergy, and thus marks a decisive move towards true jointness and integration of India’s armed forces.

The institutional framework for this unified command structure is managed through HQ IDS, which was created to oversee higher defence management and coordination across India’s military branches.

This reform comes as India continues to modernize its defence posture amid rising regional tensions, including ongoing conflict in West Asia, where India is actively evacuating its citizens from Iran and Israel under Operation Sindhu.