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 Lieutenant General Dinesh Singh Rana who took command on 1 October 2025 as the 14th CinC, SFC.

History 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.

The Cabinet Committee on Security approved the appointment of a Commander-in-Chief, Strategic Forces Command, to manage and administer all Strategic Forces. Air Marshal Teja Mohan Asthana was appointed the first commander-in-chief on 10 January 2013.

Organisation 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 +List of Commanders-in-Chief of Strategic Forces Command S.No Name Branch Assumed office Left office Notes 1 Air Marshal Tej Mohan Asthana First C-in-C. 2 Air Marshal Ajit Bhavnani Later served as Vice Chief of the Air Staff. 3 Air Marshal Avinash Deodata Joshi 4 Vice Admiral Vijay Shankar Later served as Commander-in-Chief, Andaman and Nicobar Command. 5 Lieutenant General Balraj Singh Nagal 6 Air Marshal K. J. Mathews 7 Vice Admiral S. P. S. Cheema Later served as Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Southern Naval Command and as Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Naval Command. 8 Lieutenant General Amit Sharma 9Air Marshal Jasbir Walia 10Air Marshal Navkaranjit Singh Dhillon 11Air Marshal Rajesh Kumar 12 Vice Admiral R. B. Pandit 13Vice Admiral Suraj Berry 14Lt Gen Dinesh Singh Rana Incumbent

List of CinC by branches of service Branch Count 3 4 7

See also Commander-in-Chief, Andaman and Nicobar Command Chief of Integrated Defence Staff

References