| Post: | Commander-in-Chief, Strategic Forces Command |
| Flagborder: | yes |
| Incumbentsince: | 6 October 2023 |
| Reports To: | Chief of the Defence Staff |
| Seat: | New Delhi |
| Appointer: | Appointments Committee of the Cabinet |
| Formation: | 2003 |
| First: | Air Marshal Tej Mohan Asthana |
The Commander-in-Chief, Strategic Forces Command is the head of the Strategic Forces Command, the integrated tri-service command responsible for the management and administration of India's tactical and strategic nuclear weapons stockpile.
The current Commander-in-Chief is Vice Admiral Suraj Berry who took command on 6 October 2023 as the 13th CinC SFC.
The Strategic Forces Command (SFC) was created on 4 January 2003 by the Government of India under Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Part of the Nuclear Command Authority, the SFC manages and administers all strategic forces by exercising complete command and control over nuclear assets.[1]
The Cabinet Committee on Security approved the appointment of a Commander-in-Chief, Strategic Forces Command, to manage and administer all Strategic Forces.[2] Air Marshal Teja Mohan Asthana was appointed the first commander-in-chief.[3] [4]
The CinC SFC is a Three-star rank officer from the three Services in rotation. The CinC reports directly to the Chief of Defence Staff (India) (CDS). He is assisted by the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the command, also a three-star officer.
| +List of Commanders-in-Chief of Strategic Forces Command | S.No | Rank | Name | Branch | Assumed office | Left office | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Air Marshal | Tej Mohan Asthana | First C-in-C.[5] | ||||
| 2 | Ajit Bhavnani | Later served as Vice Chief of the Air Staff (India).[6] [7] | |||||
| 3 | Avinash Deodata Joshi | [8] | |||||
| 4 | Vice Admiral | Vijay Shankar | Later served as Commander-in-Chief, Andaman and Nicobar Command.[9] | ||||
| 5 | Lieutenant General | Balraj Singh Nagal | [10] [11] | ||||
| 6 | Air Marshal | Kughikombil Joseph Mathews | [12] | ||||
| 7 | Vice Admiral | Surinder Pal Singh Cheema | Later served as Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Southern Naval Command and as Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Naval Command. [13] | ||||
| 8 | Lieutenant General | Amit Sharma | [14] [15] | ||||
| 9 | Air Marshal | Jasbir Walia | |||||
| 10 | Navkaranjit Singh Dhillon | ||||||
| 11 | Rajesh Kumar | [16] [17] | |||||
| 12 | Vice Admiral | R. B. Pandit | [18] | ||||
| 13 | Suraj Berry | Present | [19] | ||||
Army : 2
Navy : 4
Air Force : 7