India’s long-delayed plans to overhaul its military are getting a new life as Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government moves closer to the U.S. and its allies, which are strengthening defense cooperation against China.
Modi, who will attend a meeting of "Quad" leaders at the White House Friday along with Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and Australia’s Scott Morrison, is taking steps to undertake the biggest reorganization of India’s military since its independence in 1947. The moves to integrate the Army, Air Force and Navy — which now operate with little coordination — come as the U.S. and U.K. work with Australia to put more nuclear-powered submarines in Asia-Pacific waters.
Last month, a newly created Department of Military Affairs ordered the Indian Army unit overseeing the Pakistan border to draw up a plan for integrating with the Navy and Air Force, according to officials aware of the developments. That model will be replicated throughout the country so that the entire military will be under a new operating structure by 2024, said the officials, who asked not to be identified due to rules for speaking to the media.