Pakistan Launches Army Rocket Force to Match India Missile Capabilities, Also Indicate Pakistan's Heavy Losses

Pakistan has officially unveiled a new missile-focused military formation, the Army Rocket Force (ARF), in what officials describe as a major step toward modernizing the country’s conventional strike capabilities. The announcement came from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif during the nation’s 78th Independence Day celebrations, just months after the May 2025 conflict with India—known in India as Operation Sindoor—that saw some of the heaviest missile and drone exchanges in South Asian history.

Indian officials have claimed that during Operation Sindoor, Indian missile strikes inflicted heavy losses on Pakistan’s key military infrastructure, including air defense sites, ammunition depots, and forward operating bases. According to New Delhi, precision attacks carried out by the Pralay, Prahaar, and Pinaka Mk-II systems crippled several Pakistani units within the first 48 hours of the operation. India has stood firmly by its claim of operational success, stating that these strikes demonstrated the effectiveness of its modern conventional missile doctrine. Pakistan has not publicly confirmed the extent of the losses, but the sudden announcement of the ARF is widely seen as an acknowledgment of the gap in its conventional missile defense and deployment capabilities.

A Doctrinal Shift in Pakistan’s Military

Until now, Pakistan’s missile forces largely fell under the Army Strategic Forces Command (ASFC), which is tied to the Strategic Plans Division Force (SPDF) and the National Command Authority—institutions primarily responsible for nuclear deterrence. The ARF marks a clear break from that structure, focusing entirely on conventional deterrence.

The force is expected to operate short- to medium-range missile systems such as the NASR (Hatf-9) tactical ballistic missile with a 70 km range, Babur cruise missiles with ranges beyond 700 km, and future Shaheen-series variants that could reach up to 2,750 km. It will focus on rapid launch readiness, mobility, and precision targeting, integrating its operations closely with drones, reconnaissance satellites, and air force assets to improve survivability and strike effectiveness.

Regional Parallels with India

The creation of the ARF mirrors India’s Integrated Rocket Force (IRF) concept, which has been in discussion since 2022. India’s arsenal includes Pinaka Mk-II guided rockets (90 km), Prahaar tactical missiles (150 km), the Pralay quasi-ballistic missile (up to 500 km), and the Agni series reaching well beyond 5,000 km. The IRF is designed for rapid, massed missile salvos against high-value targets, supported by satellite-based intelligence.

Indian defense analysts say Pakistan’s move is a direct counter to India’s Integrated Battle Groups (IBGs) and growing missile dominance. Many in New Delhi argue that the performance of Indian missile forces in Operation Sindoor—where key objectives were reportedly neutralized within hours—proved the decisive advantage of rapid-strike precision missile warfare in the modern South Asian battlefield.

Lessons from Operation Sindoor

The May conflict underscored how conventional missile forces now play a central role in regional warfare. For the first time since the 1999 Kargil War, high-tempo missile salvos shaped the outcome of a major clash. Indian forces claim their missile strikes not only halted Pakistani advances but also degraded command-and-control capabilities, leaving several sectors vulnerable. Defense experts believe this experience may have been a driving factor behind Islamabad’s urgency in establishing the ARF.

International Implications and Future Development

Global observers are watching closely. The United States has privately voiced concern over the accelerating arms competition, while China—Pakistan’s primary defense partner—is expected to provide assistance in guidance systems, ISR integration, and satellite-based targeting to improve missile precision.

Pakistan’s plan to raise its defense budget by 20 percent to roughly USD 9 billion reflects a broader shift from relying solely on nuclear deterrence toward building a fast, flexible, and survivable conventional missile strike force. The ARF’s development could mark the beginning of a new phase in South Asia’s military rivalry—one in which precision conventional firepower becomes as strategically significant as nuclear weapons in shaping the balance of power.