India Unveils New Maritime Doctrine to Enhance Military Jointness and Theaterisation

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The Indian Navy has released its latest Indian Maritime Doctrine 2025, a comprehensive guide that aims to strengthen jointness and integration among the three armed forces. The doctrine, which is the apex guidance document of the Indian Navy, prioritizes jointmanship by aligning with tri-service joint doctrines to ensure interoperability across the armed forces. The release of the doctrine comes at a critical time when the military is undergoing a major transformation towards theaterisation, a long-awaited reform that seeks to optimize the use of resources in future wars. The doctrine formalizes 'no-war, no-peace' as a distinct category between peace and conflict, recognizing its significance in the conflict spectrum. The Indian Maritime Doctrine 2025 also acknowledges the growing importance of emerging technologies, including uncrewed systems, autonomous platforms, and space, cyber, and cognitive domains. It seeks to integrate an enhanced understanding of tactics employed by adversaries, including grey-zone, hybrid, and irregular warfare. According to Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, the doctrine reflects the major transformations in India's maritime environment and strategic outlook. It lays the foundation for the navy's strategy and operations, and intends to advance India's regional role and maritime influence. The release of the doctrine is part of the government's efforts to promote jointness and integration among the armed forces. In September, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh emphasized the need for a change in mindset and dialogue to achieve jointness, and stressed that tri-service integration is a must for survival in a fast-changing security environment. The Indian Maritime Doctrine 2025 is the latest in a series of joint doctrines released by the government, including one for Special Forces operations, airborne and heliborne operations, and multi-domain operations. These doctrines are seen as a needed boost for the ongoing drive for jointness and integration of the armed forces. As India continues to evolve its military strategy, the Indian Maritime Doctrine 2025 is expected to play a crucial role in shaping the country's maritime security and defense policies.