Strategic Forces Command

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Strategic Forces Command
Founded4 January 2003; 21 years ago (2003-01-04)
Country India
BranchTri-service

The Strategic Forces Command (Strategic force comand) 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 January 4, 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 NCA under the leadership of a Commander-in-Chief who is a three-star rank officer. It will have the sole responsibility of initiating the process of delivering nuclear weapons and warheads, after acquiring explicit approval from the NCA. The exact selection of the target area shall be decided by the SFC through a calibrated, cumulative process involving various levels of decision-making, and with formal approval by the NCA.[3][4]

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

See also: Nuclear triad and India and weapons of mass destruction

The Agni-I and Agni-II ballistic missiles are operational under the SFC,[6] while the Agni-III missile is being inducted.[7] The Hindu reported in September 2012 that Agni-III missiles were operational under the Strategic Forces Command and a user test of rail mobile Agni-III was carried out 21 September 2012.[8] The SFC carried out the second user trial of rail mobile Agni-III missile on 23 December 2013.[9] [10]

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 07-January-2014 from the test range at Chandipur.[11]

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.[12]

Land-based ballistic missiles
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 Short / Medium-range ballistic missile 700–1,250
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 4,000 km Tested successfully
Agni-V Intermediate / Intercontinental ballistic missile 5,000–8,000
Agni-VI Intercontinental ballistic missile & probable MIRV 8,000–12,000 Under development
Surya Intercontinental ballistic missile & MIRV 12,000–16,000 Unconfirmed
Sea-based ballistic missiles
Name Type Range (km) Status
Dhanush Short-range ballistic missile 350 Operational[13]
Sagarika (K-15)   Submarine-launched ballistic missile 700 Operational
K-4 Submarine-launched ballistic missile 3,500 Tested[14]

See also

References

  1. ^ "India all set to set up nuclear forces command". Times of India. Dec 30, 2002. Retrieved 27 June 2012.
  2. ^ "Nuke command set up, button in PM's hand". Times of India. Jan 4, 2003. Retrieved 27 June 2012.
  3. ^ a b "Air Marshal Asthana to head Strategic Forces Command". Times of India. Jan 10, 2003. Retrieved 27 June 2012.
  4. ^ a b "Indian Army wants sole right over post of Strategic Forces Commander". Zee News. 29 July 2013. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
  5. ^ "Agni-I launched for the first time by Strategic Forces Command". Outlook India. Mar 23, 2008. Archived from the original on 10 May 2013. Retrieved 27 June 2012. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  6. ^ T.S. Subramanian, Y. Mallikarjun. "Agni-II soars in success". The Hindu.
  7. ^ India Poised To Test Agni-V Missile
  8. ^ Y. Mallikarjun. "Agni-III test-fired successfully". The Hindu.
  9. ^ "Press Information Bureau".
  10. ^ Y. Mallikarjun. "Agni-III test-fired by SFC personnel". The Hindu.
  11. ^ "Prithvi Launch Successful".
  12. ^ Strategic Command to acquire 40 nuclear capable fighters Archived 2010-10-17 at the Wayback Machine
  13. ^ "India s Dhanush Undergoes 1st Night Test - SP's Naval Forces". Retrieved 27 July 2015.
  14. ^ Press Trust of India (25 March 2014). "India test fires long range N-missile launched from under sea". Retrieved 27 July 2015.
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