India's armed forces on Wednesday released two doctrines aimed at creating synergy among the Army, Navy and Air Force to enhance their joint fighting capabilities in both conventional and low intensity conflict situations and in the psychological arena.
The joint air-land operations doctrine and the perception management and psychological warfare doctrine were formulated by the Doctrine Directorate of Integrated Defence Staff (IDS)
Headquarters, a tri-service organisation created after the 1999 Kargil war to achieve jointness in operations of the three defence forces.
"The two doctrines will create the requisite synergy between the three Services in important military matters and will go a long way towards enhancing joint fighting capabilities of Indian armed forces," a Defence Ministry release said here.
Indian Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal P V Naik, who is also the Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee, released the two joint operational doctrines here in the presence of
Navy chief Admiral Nirmal Verma and Army Chief General V K Singh.
The joint doctrine for air-land operations would serve as the cornerstone document for use of military power in a joint warfare scenario when the Army's infantry, armoured and artillery strengths are used alongside Air Force's fire power.
It establishes the framework of concepts and principles to understand the approach to planning and conduct of air-land operation in a conventional war scenario.
The joint doctrine lays down organisations and procedures that would leverage the available technology towards synergistic application of air power, the release said.
The doctrine on Military Psychological Operations is a policy, planning and implementation document that aims to create a conducive environment for the armed forces to operate by using the media available with the Services to their advantage.
It constitutes a planned process of conveying a message to select target audience, to promote particular themes that result in desired attitudes and behaviour, which affect the
achievement of political and military objectives of the country, the release said.
"Given the potential benefit of psychological operations as an effective force multiplier, its use in support of military aims and objectives is considerable," it added.
The doctrine also provides guidelines for activities related to perception management in sub-conventional operations -- such as the counter-insurgency efforts in Jammu and Kashmir and the North Eastern states -- in an internal
environment wherein misguided population may have to be brought into the mainstream.
In the last couple of years, the Integrated Defence Staff Headquarters has brought out a series of joint warfare doctrines, including one on amphibious warfare.