Tue Aug 26 06:27:38 UTC 2025: **Pakistan Establishes New Rocket Force to Address Strategic Gaps Revealed in May Conflict**
Islamabad, Pakistan – On the eve of its 78th Independence Day, Pakistan announced the creation of a new Army Rocket Force Command (ARFC) aimed at bolstering its conventional warfare capabilities and addressing vulnerabilities exposed during a tense conflict with India in May.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif stated the ARFC will be equipped with modern technology to strike adversaries, a thinly veiled reference to India, from any direction. The move comes as experts suggest the May conflict, which involved air strikes, missile fire, and drone attacks, highlighted gaps in Pakistan’s strategic deterrence, which has long relied on its nuclear arsenal.
Analysts emphasize that the ARFC is not a knee-jerk reaction but rather a long-term doctrinal evolution. It aligns with a global trend of increasing reliance on precision-guided missiles and drones. The new command will centralize control of conventional missile forces, operating separately from Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal, which remains under the Strategic Plans Division (SPD) and the National Command Authority (NCA).
The ARFC will focus on guided conventional rocket systems with ranges up to 400km, offering Pakistan the ability to conduct deep strikes against high-value targets without escalating to nuclear conflict. The force currently includes systems like the Fatah-1 and Fatah-2 rockets.
Analysts suggest that India’s growing counterforce options and its “escalatory deterrence” posture, demonstrated during the May conflict, pushed Pakistan to operationalize its conventional strategic forces. The new command aims to provide a credible response to potential Indian aggression without automatically resorting to nuclear weapons. The ARFC is intended to ensure operational readiness and increase efficiency in deploying missile assets, both for deterrence and during limited conflicts.
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