Pakistan creates Army Rocket Force
Command to strengthen missile warfare
Pakistan has announced the creation
of the Army Rocket Force Command, a new military branch equipped with advanced
technology and designed to strengthen the country’s conventional warfare
capabilities.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif made
the announcement late Wednesday during an event marking Pakistan’s 79th
Independence Day and commemorating the recent four-day military confrontation
with India.
“Equipped with modern technology and
capable of striking the enemy from every direction, this force will be another
milestone in enhancing our warfighting capabilities,” Sharif said, addressing
an audience that included President Asif Ali Zardari, the chiefs of the three
armed services, and foreign dignitaries.
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While details on the force’s size and structure were not disclosed, analysts say the initiative appears inspired by China’s People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force, which manages an arsenal of land-based ballistic, hypersonic, and cruise missiles.
Sharif’s announcement follows
heightened tensions with India, including Army Chief Gen. Asim Munir’s recent
nuclear warning and remarks by former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari
about Pakistan’s readiness to respond to aggression.
The prime minister described the May
confrontation with India as a “major victory,” crediting Pakistan’s nuclear
capability for deterring escalation. The clashes began after India’s Operation
Sindoor on May 7, launched in response to the April 22 Pahalgam attack that
killed 26 civilians. Four days of cross-border missile and drone strikes ended
with a ceasefire on May 10, which Sharif attributed to US mediation—though
India maintains the understanding was reached through direct talks between the
two militaries’ DGMOs.
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A month later, Pakistan increased its defense budget by 20% for fiscal year 2025–26. Sharif also thanked China, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, Azerbaijan, the UAE, and Iran for their diplomatic support during the conflict, and called for political unity under a proposed national charter.
Highlighting his government’s
economic record, Sharif said inflation had dropped from 34% to 5% and the
interest rate from 21% to 11%, while noting Pakistan’s heavy toll in the war on
terrorism—90,000 lives lost and over USD 150 billion in economic damages.
Source: Millenium Post