Strategic Plans Division Force or (SPD Force) ( ur, ) is Pakistan's agency responsible for the protection of its
tactical and
strategic
Strategy (from Greek στρατηγία ''stratēgia'', "art of troop leader; office of general, command, generalship") is a general plan to achieve one or more long-term or overall goals under conditions of uncertainty. In the sense of the "art ...
nuclear weapons
A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission (fission bomb) or a combination of fission and fusion reactions ( thermonuclear bomb), producing a nuclear explosion. Both bom ...
stockpile and the strategic assets.
It is the security branch of the
National Command Authority (NCA),
the department currently has 170 nuclear stockpiles and many strategic and tactical delivery systems ( missiles), for target acquisition reconnaissance and surveillance
BeiDou
The BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS; ) is a Chinese satellite navigation system. It consists of two separate satellite constellations. The first BeiDou system, officially called the BeiDou Satellite Navigation Experimental System a ...
satellite navigation system and many
UAVs
An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), commonly known as a drone, is an aircraft without any human pilot, crew, or passengers on board. UAVs are a component of an unmanned aircraft system (UAS), which includes adding a ground-based controlle ...
and
UCAVs ( i.e
NESCOM-BURRAQ,
GIDS-Shahpar,
GIDS Uqab
The GIDS Uqab (lit. ''GIDS Eagle'') is a tactical unmanned reconnaissance aerial vehicle built and developed by the Global Industrial Defence Solutions (GIDS) for the joint drone program of the Pakistan Navy and Pakistan Army. The Uqab is a tac ...
etc) are used. SPD Force has a three star general as its DG and is under direct command of Strategic Plans Division.
Role
The force's primary task is provision of security to country's strategic infrastructure such as nuclear
and missile research and production sites, space installations etc such as, KRL, PAEC, PNRA, NESCOM and SUPARCO.
Organization
SPD is commanded by serving
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on th ...
of
Pakistan Army
The Pakistan Army (, ) is the land service branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The roots of its modern existence trace back to the British Indian Army that ceased to exist following the Partition of British India, which occurred as a result ...
who acts as Director General of
Strategic Plans Division.
The force (SPD force)is commanded by serving
Major General
Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of ...
of
Pakistan Army
The Pakistan Army (, ) is the land service branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The roots of its modern existence trace back to the British Indian Army that ceased to exist following the Partition of British India, which occurred as a result ...
who acts as Director General of
Strategic Plans Division Force
Strategic Plans Division Force or (SPD Force) ( ur, ) is Pakistan's agency responsible for the protection of its tactical and strategic nuclear weapons stockpile and the strategic assets. It is the security branch of the National Command Author ...
.There are four security directorates for each strategic organization and each directorate is led by
Brigadier
Brigadier is a military rank, the seniority of which depends on the country. In some countries, it is a senior rank above colonel, equivalent to a brigadier general or commodore, typically commanding a brigade of several thousand soldiers. ...
.
Initially, manpower for security of country's strategic assets was provided by
Pakistan's Armed Forces but now SPD has started hiring its own personnel. The selection standards in terms of intelligence and physical standards for these candidates are even higher than army due to very sensitive nature of their duty. At start, these recruits were trained at Pakistan Army's training centers
but since 2012 SPD has been training these recruits in its own academy known as Pakistan’s Centre of Excellence for Nuclear Security (PCENS)
located in Chakri near Rawalpindi. This training facility is modeled on US
National Nuclear Security Administration
The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) is a United States federal agency responsible for safeguarding national security through the military application of nuclear science. NNSA maintains and enhances the safety, security, and ef ...
's academy.
Special Response Force
Special Response Force (SRF) is the special forces unit
of SPD Force with the strength of 25,000 personnel.
SRF is based on training techniques of SSG and has retired SSG commandos as training staff.
Weapons
SPD Force's primary weapons are
G3,
Type 56
The Type 56 (; literally; "Assault Rifle, Model of 1956") is a Chinese 7.62×39mm rifle. It is a variant of the Soviet-designed AK-47 (specifically Type 3) and AKM rifles.Miller, David (2001). ''The Illustrated Directory of 20th Century Guns' ...
and
Type 81 assault rifles.
Director Generals SPD
References
{{Authority control
Nuclear safety and security
Pakistan Army
Strategic forces of Pakistan
Special forces of Pakistan
Nuclear security agencies