India’s first batch of 40 'Purple officers' complete training in Tamil Nadu, here's all you need to know about them

You might be familiar with army, navy, and air force officers, but what about purple officers? A recent batch of these officers has graduated from the Defence Services Staff College at Wellington in the Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu. It is India’s first batch, consisting of 40 officers.

Who are Purple officers?

Purple officers are military personnel trained in joint operations across the Army, Navy, and Air Force, promoting inter-service coordination. They undergo specialised training in "jointness," integrating the strengths of at least two branches of the armed forces. The first batch of "purple officers" includes 40 officers: 20 from the Army and 10 each from the Navy and Air Force. Four international officers from the US, South Korea, the UK, and Australia also participated, sharing their experiences with joint operations to benefit the Indian officers.
 
Purple officers’ training

The 40 specially trained officers visited key defense establishments, including the joint Andaman and Nicobar Command and the Integrated Defence Staff (IDS) in New Delhi. They also stopped by the Maritime Control Centre, where they received briefings on logistics, intelligence, and cybersecurity related to joint operations. Despite their advanced training, the officers will initially take on traditional roles due to the current lack of an integrated system.

For the unversed,  the Andaman and Nicobar Command is India's sole operational joint services command, playing a vital role in national security and supporting military operations. It has been crucial in nurturing the government's 'Act East' policy and aligns with the Prime Minister's vision of Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR).

Rajnath Singh's speech at Defence Services Staff College, Wellington

Defense Minister Rajnath Singh stated that emerging technologies, like unmanned systems and AI, are changing the nature of warfare, ushering in an era of autonomous warfare. He noted that modern warfare extends beyond traditional land, sea, and air battlefields, requiring armed forces to operate jointly across multiple domains, including cyber, space, and information warfare, which are becoming as crucial as conventional operations.

“In order to remain capable and relevant for future wars, we need to vigorously pursue the transformation of our Armed Forces. New perspectives, doctrines, concepts of operation and structures need to be created and refined in keeping with the changing nature of threats and war fighting methodologies," he said in a statement.

(With PTI inputs)