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CDS to get the Field Marshal
Room in South Block

Josy Joseph in New Delhi

The chief of defence staff, the military advisor to the government whose appointment is expected soon, would occupy the historic Field Marshal Room in South Block.

If the room is merely symbolic, the strategic force, which would handle country's nuclear weapons, would make the CDS a powerful entity that would have a crucial role in any future war, according to senior military officials.

The chief of integrated staff Lt General Pankaj Joshi, who is overseeing the setting up of the CDS structure, has already taken possession of the room that has been kept ready for Field Marshal SHFJ Maneckshaw ever since he was appointed the field marshal.

The room has remained vacant for the field marshal, for consultations that he might want to conduct with the three services, but Maneckshaw has rarely used it. In fact, in the recent years he has rarely come to South Block.

In South Block, which houses the ministries of defence, external affairs and prime minister's office, rooms are in great demand. A senior military official says it is because of this space constraint that the room, which is close to the offices of army and navy top brass and next to the War Room, has been taken over for the CDS.

Another room would be located for the field marshal in South Block, even though it may hardly be used. But customs and traditions demand a room for the field marshal.

In independent India's history there have only been two field marshals -- former army chiefs KM Cariappa and Maneckshaw.

On the eve of this year's Republic Day, the government honoured the legendary air force chief of 1965 war, Arjan Singh, with the post of Indian Air Force's first marshal, which is equivalent to a field marshal of the army.

Sources said though the CDS appointment is yet to be cleared by the government, the entire structure, which would lead to integration of the three services and ultimately to theatre commands, is fast taking shape. The CDS has already designed its own flag, in blue colour, and its senior officers are already sporting it on their vehicles and in their offices.

What would make the CDS immediately powerful would be the strategic force, which would control the nation's nuclear assets. According to sources, the strategic force would have a separate chain of command and an independent secure communication network.

The first chief of strategic command would be an air force officer of the rank of an air marshal.

Sources said the strategic force would be raised as an independent force. It could, in the future, become the fourth force, after the army, the navy and the air force.

The strategic command would report to the deputy chief of defence staff, who in turn will report to the CDS. Vice Admiral S C S Bangara was recently appointed as country's first DCDS (operations).

At present, India has one joint command at Port Blair, but the air force and the army are yet to increase their deployment there to the required levels. Earlier, the Port Blair command was a naval command with elements from air force and army attached to it.

Depending on the success of the Port Blair command, the other commands would also be integrated, sources say.

The CDS structure would also soon have the defence intelligence agency, a tri-service intelligence agency, to which independent intelligence agencies of each service would report.

A lt general would take over as the first DIA chief.

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