Army Strategic Forces Command (Pakistan)
Encyclopedia
The Pakistan Army
Strategic Forces Command, known as Army SF Command, is major Combatant Command of Pakistan Armed Forces. Together with Pakistan Air Force's Air Force Strategic Command (AFSF)and the Naval Strategic Command (NSC), they formed the Pakistan Strategic Forces Commands (PSFC) directly reported to Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee. A newer component of Pakistan Army's administrative corps, it is tasked to commands all of Pakistan's land based strategic forces. It is mandated and tasked with space operations (such as military satellites), information operations (such as information warfare), missile defense, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (C4ISR
), and strategic deterrence and combating weapons of mass destruction.
's Air Force Strategic Command
was completely responsible for protecting the nuclear assets and had control over the land and air-based nuclear weapons. The Air Force Strategic Command was highly active during the country's nuclear test experiments in 1999, and it had completely dismantle the role of the Army to take any decisions over the nuclear weapons. Its success influenced Chief of Army Staff and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Pervez Musharraf to established a new formation that created in June 1999. General Pervez Musharraf desired to have a formal command and control structure for the employment of Pakistan land based nuclear weapons, and completely independent from the Air Force. The Command was established after Prime minister
Navaz Sharif ordered nuclear tests in 1998, under codename Chagai-I
and Chagai-II in Balochistan Province. The command structure includes the Nuclear Command Authority, Strategic Plans Division, and the Strategic Forces Commands of Air Force
, Naval
and Marines
. The formation itself became operational in March 2000. It became a fully fledged corps
in 2004.
s Ballistic launchers. While Pakistan is a nuclear weapons state, it is unknown at this time if ASFC is in possession or control of any nuclear warheads, though presumably in a nuclear war
a good percentage of the warheads would be delivered to their targets by the launchers of the ASFC.
. It has subordinate divisions
, brigades and units. There is scant information on these, except for the 47th Artillery Brigade, which seems to be based in Sargodha http://www.pakdef.info/nuclear&missile/armystrategiccommand.html.
Pakistan Army
The Pakistan Army is the branch of the Pakistani Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. The Pakistan Army came into existence after the Partition of India and the resulting independence of Pakistan in 1947. It is currently headed by General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani. The Pakistan...
Strategic Forces Command, known as Army SF Command, is major Combatant Command of Pakistan Armed Forces. Together with Pakistan Air Force's Air Force Strategic Command (AFSF)and the Naval Strategic Command (NSC), they formed the Pakistan Strategic Forces Commands (PSFC) directly reported to Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee. A newer component of Pakistan Army's administrative corps, it is tasked to commands all of Pakistan's land based strategic forces. It is mandated and tasked with space operations (such as military satellites), information operations (such as information warfare), missile defense, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (C4ISR
C4ISR
C4ISR may refer to:* the C4ISR concept of Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, the U.S. term for C4ISTAR* C4ISR Journal, a journal published by the Defense News Media Group...
), and strategic deterrence and combating weapons of mass destruction.
History
Before its establishment, the Pakistan Air ForcePakistan Air Force
The Pakistan Air Force is the leading air arm of the Pakistan Armed Forces and is primarily tasked with the aerial defence of Pakistan with a secondary role of providing air support to the Pakistan Army and the Pakistan Navy. The PAF also has a tertiary role of providing strategic air transport...
's Air Force Strategic Command
Air Force Strategic Command (Pakistan)
The Pakistan Air Force Strategic Forces Command, known as AF Strategic Command, is one of the three unified command of the Pakistan Strategic Forces Command...
was completely responsible for protecting the nuclear assets and had control over the land and air-based nuclear weapons. The Air Force Strategic Command was highly active during the country's nuclear test experiments in 1999, and it had completely dismantle the role of the Army to take any decisions over the nuclear weapons. Its success influenced Chief of Army Staff and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Pervez Musharraf to established a new formation that created in June 1999. General Pervez Musharraf desired to have a formal command and control structure for the employment of Pakistan land based nuclear weapons, and completely independent from the Air Force. The Command was established after Prime minister
Prime Minister of Pakistan
The Prime Minister of Pakistan , is the Head of Government of Pakistan who is designated to exercise as the country's Chief Executive. By the Constitution of Pakistan, Pakistan has the parliamentary democratic system of government...
Navaz Sharif ordered nuclear tests in 1998, under codename Chagai-I
Chagai-I
The Chagai-I was a codename referring to the five underground nuclear tests conducted by Pakistan at 15:15hrs in 28th May of 1998. It was named Chagai-I, as the tests were conducted in the Chagai District...
and Chagai-II in Balochistan Province. The command structure includes the Nuclear Command Authority, Strategic Plans Division, and the Strategic Forces Commands of Air Force
Pakistan Air Force
The Pakistan Air Force is the leading air arm of the Pakistan Armed Forces and is primarily tasked with the aerial defence of Pakistan with a secondary role of providing air support to the Pakistan Army and the Pakistan Navy. The PAF also has a tertiary role of providing strategic air transport...
, Naval
Pakistan Navy
The Pakistan Navy is the naval warfare/service branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. Pakistan's Navy is responsible for Pakistan's coastline along the Arabian Sea and the defense of important civilian harbors and military bases...
and Marines
Pakistan Marines
The Pakistani Marines , are the Marine Corps and amphibious corps service branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The Pakistani Marines are a special military operations service branch of the Pakistani Navy and part of Pakistani Armed Forces, responsible for providing force projection from the sea,...
. The formation itself became operational in March 2000. It became a fully fledged corps
Corps
A corps is either a large formation, or an administrative grouping of troops within an armed force with a common function such as Artillery or Signals representing an arm of service...
in 2004.
Employment
The official remit of the formation is "the command and employment of all land-based strategic assets." This rather vague description seems to imply that it controls most, if not all, of PakistanPakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
s Ballistic launchers. While Pakistan is a nuclear weapons state, it is unknown at this time if ASFC is in possession or control of any nuclear warheads, though presumably in a nuclear war
Nuclear warfare
Nuclear warfare, or atomic warfare, is a military conflict or political strategy in which nuclear weaponry is detonated on an opponent. Compared to conventional warfare, nuclear warfare can be vastly more destructive in range and extent of damage...
a good percentage of the warheads would be delivered to their targets by the launchers of the ASFC.
List of commanders
- Lt Gen Ghulam Mustafa, April 2002 – May 2005
- Lt Gen Khalid Munir Khan, May 2005 – April 2007
- Lt Gen Syed Absar Hussain, April 2007 – October 2010
- Lt Gen Jamil Haider, October 2010 – October 2011
- Lt Gen Syed Tariq Nadeem Gilani, October 2011 – present
Composition
Since 2004, ASFC has been made the equivalent of a corpsCorps
A corps is either a large formation, or an administrative grouping of troops within an armed force with a common function such as Artillery or Signals representing an arm of service...
. It has subordinate divisions
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
, brigades and units. There is scant information on these, except for the 47th Artillery Brigade, which seems to be based in Sargodha http://www.pakdef.info/nuclear&missile/armystrategiccommand.html.