Strategic Forces Command
Strategic Forces Command | |
---|---|
Founded | 4 January 2003 |
Country | Vice Admiral Suraj Berry |
The Strategic Forces Command (SFC), sometimes called Strategic Nuclear Command, forms part of India's Nuclear Command Authority (NCA). It is responsible for the management and administration of the country's tactical and strategic nuclear weapons stockpile.[1] It was created on 4 January 2003 by the Vajpayee Government.[2] Air Marshal Teja Mohan Asthana became its first commander-in-chief.[3][4]
Responsibility
It is the responsibility of the Strategic Forces Command to operationalize the directives of the
The SFC manages and administers all strategic forces by exercising complete command and control over nuclear assets, and producing all contingency plans as needed to fulfill the required tasks. Since its inception, the SFC's command, control and communication systems have been firmly established, and the command has attained a high state of operational readiness.[5]
Assets
The estimated 68 nuclear warheads
The Prithvi missile inducted into India’s Strategic Forces Command in 2003, the first missile to be developed under India’s prestigious IGMDP strengthens India’s nuclear deterrence A missile unit of the elite Strategic Forces Command (SFC) successfully launched a Prithvi missile on 7 January 2014 from the test range at Chandipur.[12]
It was reported by Hindustan Times on 12 September 2010 that to increase its lethal power, India's tri-services strike force is planning to acquire 40 fighter planes capable of delivering nuclear weapons. The SFC has submitted a proposal to the Defence Ministry for setting up two dedicated squadrons of fighter aircraft which will act as a mini-Air Force. This will be the first time that the SFC, which at present depends on the Indian Air Force for delivering nuclear weapons under its command, will have its own aerial assets.[13]
Name | Type | Range (km) | Status |
---|---|---|---|
Prithvi-I | Short-range ballistic missile | 150 | Deployed |
Prithvi-II | Short-range ballistic missile | 250–350 | |
Prithvi-III | Short-range ballistic missile | 350–600 | |
Agni-I | Medium-range ballistic missile | 700 | |
Shaurya |
Medium-range ballistic missile | 700-1900 | |
Agni-II | Medium-range ballistic missile | 2,000–3,000 | |
Agni-III | Intermediate-range ballistic missile | 3,500–5,000 | |
Agni-IV | Intermediate-range ballistic missile | 4000 | |
Agni-V | Intercontinental ballistic missile | 5,000–8,000 | |
Agni-VI | Intercontinental ballistic missile & MIRV | 8,000–12,000 | Under development |
Agni-P | Medium-range ballistic missile | 1,000–2,000 | Under Testing |
Surya | Intercontinental ballistic missile & MIRV | 12,000–16,000 | Unconfirmed |
Air-launched nuclear weapons
Nuclear-armed fighter-bombers were India's first and only nuclear-capable strike force until 2003, when the country's first land-based nuclear ballistic missiles were fielded.[6]
In addition to their ground-attack role, it is believed that the Dassault Mirage 2000s and SEPECAT Jaguars of the Indian Air Force are able to provide a secondary nuclear-strike role.[14] The SEPECAT Jaguar was designed to be able to carry and deploy nuclear weapons and the Indian Air Force has identified the jet as being capable of delivering Indian nuclear weapons.[15] The most likely delivery method would be the use of bombs that are free-falling and unguided.[16]
Three airbases with four squadrons of Mirage 2000H (about 16 aircraft with 16 bombs from 1st and 7th squadrons of the 40th Wing at
Sea-based ballistic missile
The Indian Navy has developed two sea-based delivery systems for nuclear weapons, completing Indian ambitions for a nuclear triad, which may have been deployed in 2015.[17][18]
The first is a submarine-launched system consisting of at least four 6,000 tonne (
The second is a ship-launched system based around the short range ship-launched Dhanush ballistic missile (a variant of the
Name | Type | Range (km) | Status |
---|---|---|---|
Dhanush |
Short-range ballistic missile | 350 | Operational[29] |
Sagarika (K-15) | Submarine-launched ballistic missile | 700 | Operational |
K-4 |
Submarine-launched ballistic missile | 3,500 | Serial Production[30] |
K-5 | Submarine-launched ballistic missile | 5,000 | Under Development[31] |
K-6 | Submarine-launched ballistic missile | 6,000 | Under Development[32] |
List of commanders
S.No | Rank | Name | Branch | Assumed office | Left office | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Air Marshal | Tej Mohan Asthana | Indian Air Force | 10 January 2003 | 30 June 2004 | First C-in-C.[33] |
2 | Ajit Bhavnani | 12 July 2004 | 18 August 2005 | Later served as Vice Chief of the Air Staff (India).[34][35] | ||
3 | Avinash Deodata Joshi | 22 August 2005 | 31 December 2006 | [36] | ||
4 | Vice Admiral
|
Vijay Shankar | Indian Navy | December 2006 | 30 September 2008 | Later served as Commander-in-Chief, Andaman and Nicobar Command.[37] |
5 | Lieutenant General
|
Balraj Singh Nagal | Indian Army | 30 September 2008 | December 2010 | [38][39] |
6 | Air Marshal | Kughikombil Joseph Mathews | Indian Air Force | 1 January 2011 | 31 October 2012 | [40] |
7 | Vice Admiral
|
Surinder Pal Singh Cheema | Indian Navy | 1 November 2012 | June 2014 | Later served as Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Naval Command. [41]
|
8 | Lieutenant General
|
Amit Sharma | Indian Army | 13 June 2014 | 31 July 2016 | [42][43] |
9 | Air Marshal | Jasbir Walia | Indian Air Force | 1 August 2016 | 30 March 2019 | |
10 | Navkaranjit Singh Dhillon | 30 March 2019 | 31 January 2021 | |||
11 | Rajesh Kumar | 31 January 2021 | 31 August 2021 | [44][45] | ||
12 | Vice Admiral
|
R B Pandit
|
Indian Navy | 31 August 2021 | 30 September 2023 | [46] |
13 | Suraj Berry | 6 October 2023 | Present | [47] |
See also
- Integrated entities
- Defence Planning Committee, tri-services command at policy level with NSA as its chief
- Defence Cyber Agency, tri-services command
- Integrated Defence Staff, tri-services command at strategic level composed of MoD, MEA and tri-services staff
- Armed Forces Special Operations Division, tri-services command at operational level
- Defence Space Agency, draws staff from all 3 services of Indian Armed Forces
- Strategic Forces Command, nuclear command of India
- Indian Nuclear Command Authority, Strategic Forces Command
- Special Forces of India, tri-services, RAW and internal Security each has own units
- Andaman and Nicobar Command, first operational tri-services command
- Assets
- List of Indian Air Force stations
- List of Indian Navy bases
- List of active Indian Navy ships
- India's overseas military bases
- General concepts
- Joint warfare, general concept
- Minimum Credible Deterrence
- List of cyber warfare forces of other nations
References
- ^ "India all set to set up nuclear forces command". The Times of India. 30 December 2002. Archived from the original on 11 May 2013. Retrieved 27 June 2012.
- ^ a b "Air Marshal Asthana to head Strategic Forces Command". The Times of India. 10 January 2003. Archived from the original on 11 May 2013. Retrieved 27 June 2012.
- ^ a b "Indian Army wants sole right over post of Strategic Forces Commander". Zee News. 29 July 2013. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
- ^ "Agni-I launched for the first time by Strategic Forces Command". Outlook India. 23 March 2008. Archived from the original on 10 May 2013. Retrieved 27 June 2012.
- ^ .
- ^ "Successful Test launch of AGNI V". Press Information Bureau, Government of India. Retrieved 18 August 2019.
- ^ "Agni-V set to be inducted by December after one more test". Hindustan Times. 14 August 2018. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
- ^ Pubby, Manu (19 November 2019). "Confident of doubling range of the Astra, will be the most lethal air to air missile: DRDO Chief". The Economic Times. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
- ^ Shukla, Ajai (7 May 2013). "Advanced Agni-6 missile with multiple warheads likely by 2017". Business Standard India. Retrieved 1 October 2013.
- ^ Subramanian, T.S. (4 February 2013). "Agni-VI all set to take shape". The Hindu. Retrieved 1 October 2013.
- ^ "Prithvi Launch Successful". Press Information Bureau, Ministry of Defence (India). 7 January 2014.
- ^ "Strategic Command to acquire 40 nuclear capable fighters". Archived from the original on 17 October 2010.
- ^ Indian Nuclear Forces Archived 20 August 2014 at the Wayback Machine, 14 July 2012.
- ^ India plans to impart power punch to Jaguar fighters, October 2012.
- ^ "CDI Nuclear Issues Area – Nuclear Weapons Database: French Nuclear Delivery Systems". cdi.org. Retrieved 16 July 2010.
- ^ Peri, Dinakar (12 June 2014). "India's Nuclear Triad Finally Coming of Age". The Diplomat. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
- ^ "Nuclear triad weapons ready for deployment: DRDO". 7 July 2014.
- ^ Unnithan, Sandeep (28 January 2008). "The secret undersea weapon". India Today. Retrieved 11 November 2012.
- ^ "Indian nuclear submarine", India Today, August 2007 edition
- ^ "Russia helped India's nuke programme: CIA". Press Trust of India. 9 January 2003. Archived from the original on 22 January 2013. Retrieved 2 January 2013.
- ^ "Russia helped Indian nuclear programme, says CIA". The Dawn. 9 January 2009. Retrieved 2 January 2013.
- ^ "Sagarika missile test-fired successfully". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 27 February 2008. Archived from the original on 29 February 2008. Retrieved 31 August 2010.
- ^ "Coming from India's defense unit: ASTRA missile". Rediff.com. 31 December 2004. Retrieved 31 August 2010.
- ^ "Agni-III test-fired successfully". Hinduonnet.com. 7 May 2008. Archived from the original on 6 June 2011. Retrieved 31 August 2010.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ "Nuclear Data – Table of Indian Nuclear Forces, 2002". NRDC. Retrieved 16 July 2010.
- ^ "Prithvi SRBM". www.bharat-rakshak.com. Archived from the original on 18 September 2009.
- ^ "Dhanush, naval surface-to-surface missile, test fired successfully". domain-b.com. 31 March 2007. Retrieved 31 August 2010.
- ^ "India s Dhanush Undergoes 1st Night Test – SP's Naval Forces". Retrieved 27 July 2015.
- ^ Press Trust of India (25 March 2014). "India test fires long range N-missile launched from under sea". Business Standard India. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
- ^ Keck, Zachary (30 July 2013). "India's First Ballistic Missile Sub to Begin Sea Trials". The Diplomat.
- ^ "DRDO on long range Pralay, K5 to stalemate China soon". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
- ^ "Air Marshal Asthana to head Strategic Forces Command". The Times of India. 10 January 2003. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
- ^ "Archive News". The Hindu.
- ^ "Bhavnani is new Vice Chief of Air Staff". www.rediff.com.
- ^ "Air Marshal Avinash Deodatta Joshi takes over as C-in-C SFC". www.outlookindia.com/.
- ^ "Vice Admiral Vijay Shankar to take over as C-in-C of Andaman and Nicobar". OneIndia. Archived from the original on 27 December 2017. Retrieved 27 December 2017.
- ^ "LT GEN BALRAJ SINGH NAGAL, PVSM,AVSM,SM - Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS)". Archived from the original on 16 August 2017.
- ^ "Lt Gen Nagal is new Strategic Forces commander". The Economic Times. 30 September 2008. Retrieved 1 December 2018.
- ^ Correspondent, A. "IAF commander to head Strategic Forces Command". Rediff.
- ^ "Vice Admiral S P S Cheema, the present chief of integrated defence staff, will take over the unified Strategic Forces Command on November 1. - Times of India". The Times of India.
- ^ "Lt Gen Amit Sharma, VSM Appointed Commander – in – Chief Strategic Force Command". 13 June 2014.
- ^ "Govt sits on army posts". www.telegraphindia.com.
- ^ "Air Marshal Rajesh Kumar to take over as new chief of Strategic Forces Command". 31 January 2021.
- ^ "Rapid Turnover in IAF Brass". Bharat Shakti. 29 May 2021.
- ^ "RB Pandit takes over SFC".
- ^ "Suraj Berry takes over SFC".