Political analysts say the Zimbabwe army command would find it hard to oppose an overwhelming vote against President Mr Robert Mugabe.
Zimbabwe's senior military officials have come out in support of Mr Mugabe as he faces the greatest electoral challenge of his 22-year rule.
But analysts say the army and security chiefs' strong signal that they will not accept Mr Mugabe's main rival, Mr Morgan Tsvangirai, even if he wins the March presidential election, does not reflect the views of the rank and file.
"I think what is going on is an unfortunate pyschological game, a game of nerves," said Prof Masipula Sithole, one of Zimbabwe's top political analysts.
"But I still hold out that when it comes to the crunch, the military and security organs will abide by their constitutional responsibility to defend the will of the people, not the will of one party or one leader or a frightened group of politicians," he said.
"Some of the army and security officers might be tempted to reject the will of the people, but a majority of them are only too aware of the dangers of political intervention, which is to split the army," he said.
Yesterday, just before Mr Mugabe announced the election dates, Defence Forces chief Gen Vitalis Zvinavashe warned that heads of the army, air force, secret service, police and prison service would not accept a president who did not fight in the country's 1970s liberation war against white rule.
"We would therefore not accept, let alone support or salute anyone with a different agenda that threatens the very existence of our sovereignty, our country and our people," he said.
Mr Tsvangirai says he supported the war but did not fight because he was forced to leave school early and work to support his father's large family.