The Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff (HQ IDS), India’s apex institution driving jointness, integration and synergy among the three services and which played a key role during Operation Sindoor, completed 25 years on Thursday.
Conceived as a permanent institution to promote jointness and integration in the armed forces, the HQ IDS has emerged as the fulcrum of tri-service synergy vanguard for new domains like cyber and space.
The institution marked its silver jubilee, commemorating the 25 years since its establishment on October 1, 2001, and observed the occasion as Tri-Service Day.
As part of the celebrations themed “Future Readiness Through Jointness and Integration”, the HQ IDS organised the event “Trishakti Manthan”, featuring addresses by the Chief of Defence Staff and Secretary of the Department of Military Affairs, Gen N S Raja Subramani, and the Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to the Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee, Air Marshal Tejinder Singh, the defence ministry said.
The deliberations highlighted the contribution of HQ IDS to operational preparedness through joint operational doctrines, joint training frameworks, integrated exercises and enhanced coordination of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief mechanisms, it said in a statement.
In recognition of its distinguished contributions to strengthening jointness and integration, a silver jubilee coffee-table book chronicling the evolution and achievements of HQ IDS over the past 25 years was released at a function in Delhi. A film showcasing its key milestones since establishment was also screened.
Former CDS Gen Anil Chauhan, who helmed the HQ IDS during Operation Sindoor last year, along with various former CISC and other senior officers from the three services, were also present on the occasion.
The event marked a proud milestone in the journey of the HQ IDS and reaffirmed its enduring commitment to a future-ready integrated defence force, the ministry said.
The prestigious CDS Unit Citations and CDS Unit Appreciations were conferred on personnel in recognition of their contributions towards strengthening jointness and integration.
“On the occasion of the Silver Jubilee of Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff, General NS Raja Subramani,#CDS and Secretary DMA, laid a wreath at the National War Memorial and Museum, paying solemn tribute to the bravehearts who made the supreme sacrifice in service of the Nation,” the HQ IDS posted on X.
HQ IDS has played a significant role in preparing the defence forces for emerging domains, including cyber, space and artificial intelligence, while promoting collaboration with research organisations, academia and industry to accelerate indigenous capability development in line with ‘atmanirbharta’ (self-sufficiency) in defence, the statement said.
It also strengthened institutional mechanisms for jointness through platforms such as Ran Samwad, Joint Commanders’ Conference, and Combined Operational Review and Evaluation Programme, facilitating structured deliberations on contemporary security challenges and enhancing joint warfighting capabilities across land, maritime, air, space, cyber and cognitive domains, the defence ministry added.
-PTI
