Strategic Plans Division Force

Strategic Plans Division Force or (SPD Force) (Urdu: عسکری حکمتِ عملی ڈیوژن فورس‎) is Pakistan's agency responsible for protection of its tactical and strategic nuclear weapons stockpile and the strategic assets.[2][3] It is the security branch of the National Command Authority (NCA),[4] the department currently has 170 nuclear stockpiles and many strategic and tactical delivery systems ( missiles), for target acquisition reconnaissance and surveillance BeiDou satellite navigation system (GPS in past) and many UAVs and UCAVs ( i.e NESCOM-BURRAQ, GIDS-Shahpar, GIDS Uqab etc) are used.

SPD Force
عسکری حکمتِ عملی ڈیوژن فورس
Founded2 February 2000 (2000-02-02)
Country Pakistan
Branch
Size30,000+[1]
Garrison/HQJoint Staff Headquarters Chaklala, Rawalpindi
Commanders
Director GeneralLt. Gen Nadeem Zaki Manj

Role

The force's primary task is provision of security to country's strategic infrastructure such as nuclear[5] and missile research and production sites, space installations etc such as, KRL, PAEC, NESCOM and SUPARCO.

Organization

The force is commanded by serving Lieutenant General of Pakistan Army who acts as Director General of Strategic Plans Division.[6] There are four security directorates for each strategic organization and each directorate is led by Brigadier.[7]

Initially, manpower for security of country's strategic assets was provided by Pakistan's Armed Forces[7] 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[7] but since 2012 SPD has been training these recruits in its own academy known as Pakistan’s Centre of Excellence for Nuclear Security (PCENS)[8][9] located in Chakri near Rawalpindi.[10] This training facility is modeled on US National Nuclear Security Administration's academy.[7]

Special Response Force

Special Response Force (SRF) is the special forces unit[11] of SPD Force with the strength of 25,000 personnel.[12]

Weapons

SPD Force's primary weapons are G3, Type 56 and Type 81 assault rifles.

Director Generals SPD
Director General Start of Term End of Term
Major-General Ziauddin Butt 1990 1992
Lieutenant-General Zulfikar Ali Khan 1992 2001
Lieutenant-General Khalid Kidwai February 2000 December 2013
Lieutenant-General Zubair Mahmood Hayat December 2013 April 2015
Lieutenant-General Mazhar Jamil April 2015 September 2017
Lieutenant-General Sarfraz Sattar September 2017 November 2019 [13]
Lieutenant-General Nadeem Zaki Manj November 2019 Till Date

References
  1. Release, Press. "No PR136/2012-ISPR". www.ispr.gov.pk. ISPR. Retrieved 23 October 2015.
  2. Release, Press. "No PR71/2013-ISPR". www.ispr.gov.pk. ISPR. Retrieved 23 October 2015.
  3. confidence, COAS (November 13, 2015). "COAS reposes full confidence in Pakistan's nuclear security regime". ARY News. Retrieved 26 March 2016.
  4. retires, kidwai (December 18, 2013). "Kidwai to retire as head of Pakistan's n-programme caretakers". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 26 March 2016.
  5. Join, Trainees (November 7, 2011). "700 trainees join SPD security force". The Nation. Retrieved 26 March 2016.
  6. Training, Abottabad (April 23, 2013). "1,000 SPD Security Soldiers complete training in Abbotabad centers". Samaa. Retrieved 26 March 2016.
  7. "Nuclear Learning in Pakistan Since 1998" (PDF). School of Social Sciences, University of Western Australia. Retrieved 8 November 2015.
  8. Visits, COAS. "ISPR Hilal Magazine - Nuclear Security is a Sacred Responsibility: COAS". www.hilal.gov.pk. ISPR. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
  9. visit, coas. "COAS expresses confidence in Pakistan's nuclear security". www.dawn.com. DAWN. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
  10. Release, Press. "INAUGURATION CEREMONY of SPD TRAINING ACADEMY". www.ispr.gov.pk. ISPR. Retrieved 23 October 2015.
  11. Ceremony, SSF. "Wing Award Ceremony (SRF), Passing Out Parade (SSBC) & Expo at SPD Training Academy Rawalpindi". www.pakistanarmy.gov.pk. Retrieved 26 March 2016.
  12. Release, Press. "No PR99/2013-ISPR". www.ispr.gov.pk. ISPR. Retrieved 8 November 2015.
  13. "Lt Gen Sarfraz Sattar appointed SPD DG".
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