THE resounding applause that followed Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s announcement of Pakistan’s Army Rocket Force Command on the nation’s 78th Independence Day marked more than a military milestone; it signaled a fundamental shift in South Asia’s strategic calculus.
Pakistan’s most substantial military evolution since becoming a nuclear power in 1998 is signified by this audacious initiative, which is launched amid a period of rapid technological advancements in warfare. In response to an increasingly intricate regional security environment, Islamabad is addressing critical vulnerabilities in its deterrence posture by establishing a dedicated conventional missile force. With this new development, Pakistan can respond to aggression with precision strikes without escalating to nuclear conflict. Prime Minister Sharif himself reiterated this sentiment in his Independence Day address, emphasizing that “Pakistan must be prepared to defend its sovereignty with tools that are swift, precise and non-nuclear.”
The global context serves to bolster Pakistan’s strategy. The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has illustrated the ability of precision rocket systems, such as HIMARS, to significantly influence battles by targeting command centres and supply depots with minimal collateral damage. Similarly, Azerbaijan’s successful utilization of Israeli-manufactured LORA missiles during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict demonstrated the potential of targeted strikes to neutralize enemy air defences without the need for indiscriminate bombardment. These lessons have not been overlooked by Pakistani strategists, who acknowledge that modern warfare is increasingly leaning towards precision over sheer firepower.
India’s military modernization is accelerating, which adds urgency to Pakistan’s calculations. In addition to its aspirations for an Integrated Rocket Force, New Delhi’s development of the Pralay tactical ballistic missile, which boasts a 500km range and a 50-meter accuracy, presents evident obstacles. BrahMos-II, a hypersonic program that is capable of Mach 7 assaults, further complicates the strategic equation. “The Rocket Force will enable Pakistan to respond within minutes, not days,” as retired Lt. Gen. Tariq Khan observes.
Pakistan’s response is a sophisticated, multilayered rocket architecture that is intended to address threats across the spectrum of conflict. The NASR (Hatf-9) system offers a mobile, rapid-reaction capability to counter advancing armoured columns at the tactical level. With a 60km range and an accuracy of less than 10 meters, these missiles can stop enemy offensives before they acquire momentum. The Babur cruise missile family, which includes land-attack variants with a 450km range and the naval Harbah version, enables the precise targeting of military installations and naval assets for deeper assaults. The Shaheen-III ballistic missile, which boasts a conventional payload option, remains the crown jewel. Its 2,750km range poses a threat to high-value targets throughout India.
Pakistan has incorporated critical technological and organizational innovations from the People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force (PLARF), the world’s most advanced missile corps. The 2025 “Fateh-e-Khyber” test launch demonstrated that Pakistani missiles can now achieve an accuracy of under five meters with the assistance of the Chinese BeiDou satellite navigation. The objective of collaborative initiativesis to challenge India’s BrahMos-II development. Perhaps most significantly, Pakistan has adopted the PLARF’s emphasis on mobility and survivability, utilizing missile launchers that are designed to “shoot and scoot” before the launch of counterstrikes.
Recent conflicts have provided a sobering perspective on the dangers and benefits of rocket forces. Russia’s Iskander-M missiles have destroyed more than 30 command posts and ammunition depots in Ukraine since 2022, illustrating the potential of precision strikes to compromise an adversary’s operational capabilities. On the other hand, Ukraine’s utilization of ATACMS missiles to down 14 Russian helicopters in a single strike on a Crimean airfield in October 2023 demonstrates the potential for disproportionate effects to be achieved with even limited rocket capabilities. The Middle East offers supplementary case studies. Iran’s missile strikes on ISIS targets in Syria in January 2024, which were launched from a distance of 1,200km, revealed the potential of non-state actors to challenge conventionally superior foes by utilizing missile technology. Additionally, the Houthis attacks on Saudi and Emirati infrastructure shed light on the long-range precision of missiles.
Nevertheless, the Rocket Force is not without its detractors and risks. The primary obstacle is the preservation of distinct thresholds between conventional and nuclear responses, a balance that necessitates sophisticated command and control mechanisms. South Asia is entering a new era of precision deterrence and the strategic implications are profound. The Rocket Force is a visionary adaptation to the evolving nature of warfare and a response to urgent threats. The objective of Pakistan is to increase stability and decrease its dependence on nuclear threats by creating conventional strike options that are credible, proportional and survivable. Retired Lieutenant General Khalid Kidwai stated, “The nuclear button is unnecessary when it is feasible to eliminate an armoured brigade that is advancing with NASR missiles.” This nuanced approach is indicative of a mature comprehension that the capacity to strike proportionately, accurately and quickly may prove more decisive than the threat of mutual destruction in 21st-century conflict.
As the sun sets on yet another Independence Day, Pakistan’s strategic landscape is irrevocably transformed. In a time when technology is redefining the boundaries of deterrence, the Rocket Force announcement is more than a military reorganization; it is a statement about Pakistan’s vision for regional security. As this new capability emerges, the global community will closely monitor India’s response to this strategic development. At least one thing is sure: the strategic equilibrium of South Asia has undergone a substantial transformation.
—The writer is a International Law expert with a rich experience in negotiation, mediation and Alternate Dispute Resolution.
