India's Army and Navy sign Memorandum of Association on Affiliation on 14 May 2026

Key facts

• The Indian Army and the Indian Navy (IN) signed a Memorandum of Association (MoA) on Affiliation to formalise structured cooperation between Army formations and naval ships and commands.
• The MoA was signed by Lt Gen VPS Kaushik, Adjutant General of the Indian Army, and Vice Admiral Gurcharan Singh, Chief of Personnel of the IN.
• The framework aims to institutionalise long-term linkages through structured professional exchanges, joint activities, and operational familiarisation, drawing lessons from Operation Sindoor.
• The pact supports the military's broader push towards integrated warfighting and the creation of integrated theatre commands under the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS).
• The proposed integrated theatre commands include a maritime command led by the IN, a northern command led by the Indian Army, and a western command led by the Indian Air Force (IAF).