On the eve of Pakistan’s 79th Independence Day, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif formally announced the establishment of a dedicated Army Rocket Force as part of Pakistan’s efforts to bolster its missile combat capabilities in the wake of the recent Operation Sindoor military conflict with India.
Specifically tasked with the management, deployment, and operational control of missiles in the event of a conventional war, this new force will have its own command structure inside the military and is modeled after China’s People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force.
The force was positioned as a major milestone in strengthening Pakistan’s conventional war fighting capability and enhancing its strategic deterrence posture when the announcement was made during a ceremony in Islamabad. According to a top security officer, the new Rocket Force is clearly designed to oppose India.
This action has its roots in Operation Sindoor, a bloody four-day struggle that India launched in May in response to a terrorist attack in Pahalgam that Delhi blamed on militants supported by Pakistan.
To eliminate Pakistani airbases and missile threats, the Indian Air Force employed a variety of cutting-edge missile weapons, such as the S-400 surface-to-air missile defense system and the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile.
Targeting key Pakistani air bases, the BrahMos missiles—which have a top speed of Mach 3 and remarkable accuracy—damaged Pakistan’s air defense system and forced planes to move to safer bases.
The largest surface-to-air kill record openly confirmed by India was achieved by the S-400 system, which notably intercepted and destroyed a considerable number of Pakistani missiles and aircraft, including fighter jets and at least one bigger surveillance aircraft at long range. The fight shifted drastically in India’s favor as a result of these operations, which seriously destroyed Pakistani aircraft, radars, and command centers.
In terms of range, technology, and missile defense capabilities, India’s missile arsenal is thought to be superior to Pakistan’s. Pakistan does not directly possess any of India’s strategic missiles, including the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile and the Agni-V intercontinental ballistic missile with a range of over 5,000 kilometers.
In terms of speed, range, and versatility, Pakistan’s longest-range missiles, such as the Shaheen-III (2,750 km) and Ababeel (2,200 km, with disputed MIRV capability), are inferior. India’s multi-layered air defense system, which included the S-400 and domestic Aakash missiles, made Pakistan’s missile attacks throughout the war mainly ineffective.
Pakistan’s dedication to updating and consolidating its missile capabilities in order to better counter India’s advanced missile technology and integrated defense systems is demonstrated by the establishment of the Army Rocket Force.
Under a more cohesive strategic framework, this Army Rocket Force is anticipated to function alongside Pakistan’s other primary defense domains, including the Army, Air Force, Navy, Cyber, and Space, with state-of-the-art equipment and a dedicated command. It demonstrates Pakistan’s understanding that, in the face of rising tensions and recent military defeats, missile combat capabilities are essential to both conventional warfighting and nuclear deterrence.
Pakistan’s introduction of the new Army Rocket Force is a direct reaction to the lessons learnt during Operation Sindoor in May, when Pakistan’s military assets suffered severe damage due to Indian missile and air defense dominance.
Although there is still a considerable technical difference between the two countries’ missile arsenals, this new force seeks to modernize and improve Pakistan’s missile command and control in order to protect its interests and counter India’s missile advantage.
Nonetheless, it is necessary to emphasize Pakistan’s missile capability here. On July 22, 2025, its most recent test of its nuclear-capable Shaheen-III ballistic missile failed, with the missile missing its target and its debris falling dangerously near a nuclear station in Punjab province’s Dera Ghazi Khan. The incident, in which debris landed near residential areas in Balochistan’s Dera Bugti region, has prompted residents to worry about their safety and raised serious concerns about Pakistan’s military prowess.
