Asthana C-in-C of nuke command

Air Marshal Tej Mohan Asthana was today formally appointed the first Commander-in-Chief of the Strategic Forces Command (SFC) which has been...

Air Marshal Tej Mohan Asthana was today formally appointed the first Commander-in-Chief of the Strategic Forces Command (SFC) which has been entrusted with the upkeep and deployment of country’s nuclear arsenal.

Asthana, who was serving as the Air Officer Commander-in-Chief of the Southern Air Command had been attached to Air headquarters in early January, in anticipation of the Government making a formal announcement of the SFC.

The Cabinet Committee on Security cleared the formation of the Nuclear Command Authority and the SFC last Saturday.

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Asthana, as the SFC’s C-in-C will report to the Chairman of Chief’s of Staff Committee. The Indian Air Force (IAF), for quite some time, had been demanding that it should be given the Strategic Command as it is the only ‘‘strategic force’’.

In fact, the Strategic Force commander’s appointment had become a bone of contention within the armed forces.

However, the matter was amicably resolved last year when it was decided that the post of Chief of Integrated Defence Staff would go to the Army, Andaman and Nicobar Command to the Navy and Strategic Command to the Air Force.