The Headquarters Western Air Command successfully conducted a high-level Joint Operations Conclave on 05 and 06 February 2026 under the All Domain Joint Operations (ADJO) Exercise 2026 framework, marking a significant step toward strengthening joint operational capabilities of the Indian Defence Forces. The conclave focused on deepening intra-service and inter-service coordination at the operational level of warfare in an increasingly complex multi-domain security environment.
The deliberations were attended by senior officers from the Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff (IDS), Indian Army, Indian Navy, Defence Space Agency (DSA), and Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), along with senior leadership from the Indian Air Force, reflecting a comprehensive tri-service and multi-agency approach to future warfare.
Emphasis on Jointness and All-Domain Integration
In his inaugural address, Air Marshal JS Mann, Senior Air Staff Officer, Western Air Command, underscored the paramount importance of jointness and integrated warfighting in contemporary and future conflicts. He highlighted the urgent need for an all-domain operational approach that ensures seamless integration across air, land, sea, space, and cyber domains, enabling decisive outcomes in contested and denied environments.
He further stressed the importance of enhancing interoperability among the services, promoting domain-agnostic decision-making, strengthening sensor-to-shooter linkages, and refining operational procedures to improve efficiency and effectiveness across the battlespace.
Institutionalising Joint Mechanisms and Capability Development
Addressing the conclave, Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit, Chief of Integrated Defence Staff, highlighted the need to institutionalise joint mechanisms for integrated planning, intelligence sharing, and capability prioritisation. He emphasised the importance of coherent inter-service responses and the structured identification of capability gaps to strengthen comprehensive operational preparedness for future contingencies.
He also underscored the necessity of advancing all-domain integration to achieve synergistic effects across services and deliver unified operational outcomes. Calling for accelerated doctrinal evolution and tri-service resource alignment, Air Marshal Dixit advocated building a strong, unified operational capability and sustaining long-term strategic readiness.
Lessons from Operations and the Future of Warfare
Concluding the conclave, Air Marshal Jeetendra Mishra, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Air Command, delivered a comprehensive address drawing critical lessons from Operation Sindoor and outlining their implications for future warfare. He highlighted the pivotal role of air power in generating decisive strategic effects, the necessity of synchronising surface manoeuvre with offensive air operations, and the strategic advantage offered by the use of stand-off weapons.
Air Marshal Mishra called for a decisive shift away from legacy attrition-based models characteristic of earlier conflicts and from conventional Effects-Based Operations frameworks, advocating instead for a more agile, adaptive, and fully integrated joint warfighting paradigm. He emphasised the imperative of identifying and bridging capability gaps, reinforcing convergence across all domains, and building a robust foundation for coordinated, effects-driven responses in the all-domain battlespace.
ADJO 2026: Building a Future-Ready Joint Force
The All Domain Joint Operations Exercise 2026 represents an important milestone in India’s defence preparedness and is expected to play a decisive role in building a truly interoperable and future-ready joint force capable of operating across the full spectrum of modern security challenges.
Conclusion
The conclave reaffirmed the Indian Defence Forces’ commitment to jointness, operational synergy, and continuous adaptation in pursuit of national security objectives. By strengthening integration across domains and services, ADJO 2026 lays the groundwork for a more cohesive, responsive, and decisive military posture in the face of evolving threats.
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Source: PIB
