Article Posted on : - Jun 15, 2014

A file photo.

NEW DELHI (PTI): Lt Gen Amit Sharma has been promoted as Army Commander and appointed Commander-in-Chief, Strategic Forces Command which looks after the nuclear arsenal of the country, an Army spokesperson said on Friday.

He replaces Vice Admiral S P S Cheema as the head of the tri-services command as the Navy officer has moved to Kochi to head the Navy's Southern Command there.

Sharma (58) was the Chief of Staff of Japiur-based South Western Command of the army and had headed the force's elite 21 Strike Corps.

The responsibility of the Strategic Forces Command is to operationalise the directives of the Nuclear Command Authority (NCA).

The Command has the sole responsibility of initiating the process of delivering nuclear weapons and warheads after acquiring explicit approval from NCA.