Lt Gen Amit Sharma appointed Commander-in-Chief of Strategic Forces Command

Lt-General Amit Sharma, an armoured corps officer, has been appointed the new chief of the tri-Service Strategic Forces Command (SFC), which is tasked with managing the country's nuclear arsenal and missiles.

Created in January 2003, the SFC is headed in rotation by an officer from the Army, Navy and the Air Force.

Lt Gen Sharma was commissioned into the 45th Cavalry Regiment in December 1976. Over the years he has held numerous command, staff and instructional appointments in all operational sectors, including counter insurgency areas.

During early years of service he has been the ADC to governor of Bihar, General Staff Officer (Grade-1) of an armoured division and directing staff at the prestigious Army War College, Mhow.

He had the unique distinction of having served as Colonel Administration of an infantry division in Jammu & Kashmir, Colonel General Staff of a mountain division in the Eastern sector and brigadier general staff of a strike corps.

Lt Gen Amit Sharma has also served as Director Long Term Force Structuring, Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff and was the Defence Attache at Embassy of India, Paris where he was responsible for Army and Naval cooperation with France, Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg. He has commanded an armoured regiment, an independent armoured brigade in the western deserts, an infantry division in a strike corps and the strike corps in the southern theatre.