India, Sept. 8 -- The debate over integrated theatre commands has intensified in recent months. With the government declaring 2025 as the "Year of Defence Reforms," expectations were that India would finally move from deliberation to execution on this long-pending transformation. Instead, the proposal has run into stiff resistance, particularly from the Indian Air Force (IAF). Its leadership argues that scarce assets, the risk of doctrinal dilution, and the unsuitability of foreign models make theatreisation premature, even dangerous.

These concerns deserve to be heard. But when weighed against India's security environment, operational needs, and decades of recommendations, theatreisation emerges not as a discretionary reform but as a na...