Pakistan creates Army Rocket Force to surpass India missile capabilities.

According to information published by Reuters, on August 14, 2025, the Pakistani government officially announced the creation of a new missile-centric military command named the Army Rocket Force. The declaration was made by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif during a ceremony held in Islamabad to commemorate Pakistan’s 78th Independence Day and the recent May conflict with India. Sharif stated that the newly formed force will be equipped with modern technologies and serve as a milestone in strengthening the combat capabilities of the Pakistan Army. Though no detailed structure was revealed, senior defense officials confirmed the Army Rocket Force would operate under a dedicated command structure responsible for the handling and deployment of missiles in conventional conflicts.
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The newly formed Army Rocket Force will command Pakistan’s conventional missile assets with independent control, enabling rapid deployment, precision strikes, and enhanced deterrence in future high-intensity conflicts (Picture source : Clash Report).

The establishment of the Army Rocket Force signals a significant doctrinal and organizational shift within the Pakistani military, separating missile capabilities from the strategic nuclear command structure. Until now, Pakistan’s missile forces primarily operated under the Army Strategic Forces Command (ASFC) and were supervised by the Strategic Plans Division Force (SPDF), institutions that are tightly integrated into the country’s nuclear command and control framework. The ASFC, responsible for operational control of land-based strategic and tactical missile systems, functions under the National Command Authority, which manages Pakistan’s nuclear assets.

The new Army Rocket Force, in contrast, appears designed specifically for conventional deterrence and rapid reaction in battlefield scenarios involving short- and medium-range missiles, including tactical ballistic systems like the NASR (Hatf-9), tactical ballistic missile with a 70 km range, Babur cruise missiles exceeding 700 km, and potentially the upcoming variants of Shaheen-series missiles with ranges up to 2 750 km. The force will focus on rapid launch readiness, precision targeting, and integrated command for high-intensity battlefield operations. This bifurcation mirrors recent developments in the region, notably India’s operational deployment of its own Rocket Force-like structures within its artillery modernization and missile command initiatives, particularly under the Integrated Rocket Force concept debated in Indian defense circles since 2022.

India’s missile inventory already integrates systems like the Pinaka Mk-II guided rockets with 90 km range, the Prahaar tactical missile with 150 km range, the Pralay quasi-ballistic missile with up to 500 km range, and the Agni series capable of 700 km to over 5 000 km. Operationally, India’s IRF concept aims for rapid massed salvos against critical targets using a mix of precision-guided and area-saturation munitions, supported by real-time ISR from indigenous satellites. Pakistan’s new formation is expected to emphasize quick-reaction launches, mobility for survivability, and close integration with drones and air assets to disrupt Indian Integrated Battle Groups. Both forces represent a shift toward conventional missile deterrence in South Asia, moving beyond solely nuclear posturing to high-tempo, precision-strike capabilities.

Regionally, the creation of Pakistan’s Army Rocket Force is already generating strategic reverberations. Indian defense analysts have interpreted the move as a direct response to India’s evolving Integrated Battle Groups (IBGs) and increased emphasis on long-range precision strike capabilities. The recent May 2025 conflict, which involved unprecedented use of drones, cruise missiles, and fighter aircraft by both nations, revealed a doctrinal evolution in South Asian warfare where conventional missile forces played a central role for the first time since the 1999 Kargil War.

International observers, including analysts from the U.S. and China, are closely watching how this development may affect the strategic balance in South Asia. While Islamabad has acknowledged U.S. mediation in halting the May escalation, New Delhi continues to deny third-party involvement. Meanwhile, China, Pakistan’s strategic defense partner, is expected to support the modernization of this new force, potentially supplying guidance, ISR integration, and satellite-based targeting tools to improve Pakistani missile precision.

The announcement of the Army Rocket Force, alongside a proposed 20 percent increase in Pakistan’s defense budget to approximately USD 9 billion, suggests Islamabad is not merely responding to past tensions but preparing for future high-intensity conflicts with a broadened missile posture focused on rapid deployment, flexible targeting, and conventional strike dominance.