What do you understand by the Nuke command?

India’s Cabinet on January 4, 2003 decided to place ultimate control of the country’s nuclear forces in the hand of a political council chaired by the Prime Minister. It took more than four and a half years after declaring itself a nuclear weapon power, to make public a set of political principles and administrative arrangement to manage its arsenal of atomic weapons.

The cabinet committee on security also met to review progress in implementing India’s nuclear doctrine, the state of readiness of its strategic forces and the procedures for their command and control.

The government accounted the formation of “Nuclear Command Authority” which will be solely responsible for ordering a nuclear strike. The Nuclear Command Authority will have two bodies- Political Council and Executive Council.

Political Council:

Political Council is the sole body which can authorize the use of nuclear weapon. It represents the civilian leadership. As the first among equal, the Prime Minister will symbolically have finger on the nuclear button. An alternative chain of command has also been approved to take the charge in case the command chain is disturbed by any way. The political council will also be represented by the Home Minister, the Defense Minister, the Foreign Minister and the Finance Minister.

Executive Council:

The executive council chaired by the National Security Adviser to the Prime Minister, will provide inputs for decision making by the National Command Authority and execute the directives given to it by the political council.

The Cabinet Committee has also approved the appointment of a Commander-in-Chief, “Strategic Forces Command” who would be responsible for the administration of the nuclear force. It will be the custodian of all nuclear weapons and delivery systems. It will also formulate the strategy for retaliation and advice the chief of staff committee and actually fire the nukes.

A senior officer of the Indian Air Force is to be nominated to the post. Once the “Chief of Staff Committee”, receives inputs from the strategic forces command, it will provide military advice to the political council of the nuclear command authority through the executive council. But the final decision has to be made by the Prime Minister in his individual capacity based on military advice.

India has more than one alternative nuclear command structure in place. In the event of a surprise attack, these alternative command authorities will be in position to take retaliatory action. India may have two or three alternative command structure both the location and nature of the command will remain a secret. This will never be disclosed.

The succession ladders of various officials have also been worked out. During the Kargil War India had made adequate preparation on nuclear front and could have retaliated if there had been any need. India has also full-fledged delivery system and there are also multiple agencies tasked with responsibility on nuclear issues.

Some of these are like the Department of Atomic Energy for civil, army’s 333 Missiles group are military. India’s Prithvi and Agni missiles, Sukhoi-30 fighter bombers are also nuclear capable. A sea based nuclear deterrent is also coming into existence.