Pakistan has announced the creation of a new branch within its armed forces to oversee missile combat capabilities in the event of a conventional conflict, in what officials describe as part of an ongoing military modernization effort.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif confirmed the formation of the Army Rocket Force during a ceremony in Islamabad on Wednesday, held to mark the most serious military confrontation with India in decades. The event took place a day before Pakistan’s 78th Independence Day.“It will be equipped with modern technology,” Sharif said in a statement from his office, calling the initiative a milestone in enhancing the army’s combat capabilities. He provided no additional details.
According to a senior security official, the force will operate under its own command structure, tasked exclusively with the handling and deployment of missiles during a conventional war. “It is obvious that it is meant for India,” the official said.
Tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors escalated sharply in April following the killing of 26 civilians in Indian-administered Kashmir, an attack New Delhi attributed to militants based in Pakistan. Islamabad denied any involvement.
In response to the incident in Pahalgam, India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty and launched Operation Sindoor, targeting sites it described as militant launchpads deep inside Pakistan. The confrontation intensified from May 7 to 10, with both sides carrying out missile, drone, and air strikes before the situation de-escalated.