| Naval Strategic Forces Command | |
|---|---|
 Badge of the Pakistan Navy | |
| Active | 24 June 2004; 21 years ago (2004-06-24) |
| Country |  Pakistan |
| Branch |  Pakistan Navy |
| Type | Command and control (C2) |
| Role | Strategic deterrence Sea-basedSecond-strike |
| Size | ☓☓Division (Though, it is vary due to troops rotations based on strategic calculus) |
| Headquarters/Garrison | Navy HQ inIslamabad |
| Commanders | |
| Commander | V-Adm.Abdul Samad |
ThePakistan Navy Strategic Forces Command (reporting name:NSFC), is a strategic and missile formation of thePakistan Navy.[1] Headquartered inNavy HQ inIslamabad, the strategic command controls sea-basedguided andcruise missile system— both conventional and nuclear.[2]
Formation was organized in 2004 based on and influenced from thearmy's formation in 2002, and is responsible only for sea-based strategic nuclear deterrence, which the Pakistan's government identifies it as "custodian of second-strike capability.[1]
Before 2000, thePakistan Air Force had an effective and operational controls over the deployment, target selections, intelligence, computers andinteroperability of the nation's strategic deterrence through itsown strategic formation.[3] Protecting Pakistan's maritime border became a realization after the short-livedborder conflict with India in 1999 when Pakistani war strategists working at theJoint Staff HQ in Rawalpindi pointed that if the conflict would have entered inconventional scale, it would put Pakistan under serious disadvantage.[4]
As early as 2001, the Pakistani military strategists began to explore the idea of sea-based "Second strike" under navy rather than air force's control.[5] The Navy HQ worked with theArmy GHQ in Rawalpindi on establishing the sea-based deterrence and decided to commit greater resources for its development; consequently, tactics and strategic planning of Navy also underwent a shift.[6]
In 2000, the work on establishing the formation was started under the watchful guidance of Adm.Shahid Karimulla, who was then-Chief of Naval Staff, and strongly advocated for the pursuit of idea of "Second strike".[7] Admiral Karim rationalized that "since the Navy had been considering the deployment of nuclear weapons aboard its submarines-- it had to keep pace with developments in India."[8] Although, AdmiralKarim later left the option open, saying that the country had no plans to deploy nuclear weapons on its submarines, and that it would do so only if "forced to".[9]
In 2004, the formation was established within the Navy which was based on the army's strategic forces command, and inaugurated its first headquarters in 2012 with Vice-AdmiralTanveer Faiz becoming its first commander.
The military media command, theISPR described the NSFC as the "custodian of the nation's2nd strike capability, will strengthen Pakistan's policy of Credible Minimum Deterrence and ensure regional stability."[1]
Besides the Pakistan Army'sstrategic formation, the Naval Strategic Forces Command is the only military formation that maintains and controls the employment of the transporter erector launchers, which is a primary ground-based delivery system for coastal defenses only.[10] The Naval Strategic Command is distributed among the Pakistan Navy's missile regiment and the air defense battalions of thePakistan Marines, focusing on the southern border.[11]
The Navy's strategic formation is largely viewed as second-line capabilities that complement the principal land-based systems operated by the Army Strategic Force Command.[12]
| Officer commanding of the Naval Strategic Forces Command | Start of assignment | End of assignment |
|---|---|---|
| Vice-AdmiralTanveer Faiz | 2012 | 2015 |
| Vice-AdmiralSohail Masood | 2015 | 2019 |
| Vice-AdmiralAhmed Saeed | 2019 | 2021 |
| Vice-Admiral Abdul Samad | 2021 | Present |
{{cite web}}:|last= has generic name (help){{cite news}}:|last= has generic name (help)| Leadership |
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