According to recent reports, the Indian Armed Forces have decided to implement a round of "cross-posting" among officers, aimed at enhancing jointness and coordination within the military. As part of this move, Army officers holding the rank of colonel and brigadier will be temporarily transferred to the Navy and Air Force, while vice versa movements will also take place. The preparations for this cross-posting initiative, set to occur in October-November, have already commenced.

The decision comes as a strategic effort to improve coordination and preparedness for future warfare scenarios. The armed forces are seeking to ensure a more cohesive approach in the event of any potential conflict. The move emphasizes the importance of joint operations and fostering mutual understanding among officers from different branches of the military.

Additionally, a significant decision has been taken to introduce a common Annual Confidential Report (ACR) for all officers at the two and three-star levels across the Army, Navy, and Air Force. This means that lieutenant and major generals of the Army, vice and rear admirals of the Navy, and air vice and air marshals of the Air Force will be evaluated using similar parameters, albeit by different authorities. The new ACR system is set to be implemented for all officers from July 1 onwards.

This is not the first instance of cross-postings in the Indian Armed Forces, as an initial round of transfers was conducted on June 31. In the first round, mostly major and a few lieutenant colonels were moved between the Navy and Air Force, with a similar exchange taking place in the other direction.

The focus in this initial phase was on pilots, engineers, and logistics officers. Traditionally, interactions among officers from different services have been limited, with only brief exchanges occurring at specific institutions such as the National Defence Academy and the Defence Services Staff College. The current cross-posting initiative aims to bridge this gap and foster better understanding and collaboration among officers from diverse backgrounds within the military.

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