India's nuclear arsenal, whose button vests with the prime minister, goes in the hands of Air Marshal KJ Mathews who takes over the Strategic Forces Command (SFC) this month end from Lt Gen Balraj Singh Nagal. SFC is the agency tasked with the use of the nuclear weapons, set up in 2003 along with an eight-point nuclear doctrine committed to "no first strike" nor use the nukes against the non-nuclear nations.

This will be after two years that an Indian Air Force commander will head the SFC. Air Marshal Mathews is currently the air officer-in-charge (personnel) of the IAF. Headed by the prime minister, the SFC, conceptualised and formed during the NDA regime, has arrangements for alternative chains of command for retaliation in case of "all eventualities."

India's nuclear weapon systems are primarily land-based missiles and precision-guided aircraft launches. They are currently with the Indian Army and IAF. Soon the Indian Navy too get a submarine-launched ballistic missile K-15 completing the nuclear triad, giving the country the capability to launch nuclear weapons from land, air and sea.

The command that can activate the nuclear weapons only on the specific orders of the PM and no other authority as also under orders from the alternative authority specified under the SFC formation has its own headquarters, adequate manpower and the weapon delivery system.