‘Three Forces to train, deliver and service nukes’

The command and control of the country’s nuclear assets will move to the newly established Strategic Forces Command (SFC) but the three...

The command and control of the country’s nuclear assets will move to the newly established Strategic Forces Command (SFC) but the three services will not be transferring their entire nuclear assets, Navy Chief Admiral Madhvendra Singh said in New Delhi today. ‘‘The training in nuclear weapons and their delivery system as well as their servicing would remain the work of individual services,’’ Singh said after reviewing the NCC’s Republic Day camp.

The Navy Chief dismissed reports of differences among the three services in transferring of the command and control to the SFC. The Command would decide on the ‘‘utilisation and use’’of the nuclear weapons, he added.

Commenting on the delay in delivery of the Krivak class stealth warships, he said the first of these most advanced warships will be delivered in ‘‘two to three months.’’ Defects in the ‘Sthil’ surface-to-air missile had caused the delayed.

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‘‘We will carry out user trials prior to taking possession of the stealth warships over the next two months before taking delivery of the first ship,’’ he said. The second warship is likely to be delivered by middle of the year and the third and last one by the year-end, Singh said.

Admiral Singh is leaving for Iran on a five-day visit tomorrow. His trip comes a week before the visit to India of a high-level Iranian delegation led by President Khatami.

During his stay, Singh will hold extensive talks with his counterpart and pay a visit to the Naval base at Bandar Abbas.