New Delhi: The first ever Strategic Forces Command to control the country's nuclear and missile arsenal is likely to be announced in the first week of January and in all probability would be headed by Air Marshal T M Asthana.

Asthana, a leading strategist, was on December 30 appointed AOC-in-C, Training Command, but would remain attached to the Air Headquarters.

Highly placed sources said Asthana had been positioned here for the anticipated announcements of the formation of the Strategic Command in the first week of January.

A broad indication of the setting up of such a Command was given by outgoing Army Chief Gen S Padmanabhan on December 30 when he told reporters that an informal strategic command structure had already come up.

Replying to questions by reporters on the delay in setting up such a nuclear command structure, Padmanabhan said, "If it does not appear to be there, it does not mean it is not there. What is invisible today will become visible tomorrow."

The Cabinet Committee on Security was to clear the appointment early this week, but the announcement was delayed as the meeting could not be held. The CCS is now likely meet in the first week of 2003, sources said.

PTI