Pakistan, which was made to bite the dust by Indian armed forces in Operation Sindoor, has announced the creation of a new military force to supervise missile combat capabilities in a conventional conflict. Pakistan’s move on a dedicated command for missiles and rockets, modelled on China’s People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force (PLARF), is being seen as an apparent move to match India’s onslaught.
During the four-day mini-war in May, aerial warfare prevailed. Drones, missiles, and loitering munitions were all used by both sides. Pakistan’s Chinese-made PL-15 and India’s indigenous BrahMos, Akash systems, and even the Russian S-400 were deployed. Pakistan’s missiles largely turned into duds, as almost all were intercepted and destroyed by Indian air defence using several missile systems.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, on the eve of its Independence Day, late Wednesday (August 13, 2025), announced the creation of the Army Rocket Force at a ceremony held in Islamabad to commemorate the military confrontation with India, reported news agency Reuters.
“It will be equipped with modern technology,” Sharif said, according to a statement from Islamabad. He added that the force will prove to be a milestone in strengthening the combat capability of Pakistan’s army.
Sharif, however, did not provide any further details.
PAK’S NEW MISSILE COMMAND, MODELLED AFTER CHINA’S IS ‘MEANT’ FOR INDIA
A senior Pakistani security official told news agency Reuters that the new force will house a dedicated command, which will be exclusive to the handling and deployment of missiles in any event of a conventional war.
“It is obvious that it is meant for India,” he said.
Pakistan’s Army Rocket Force Command (ARFC) will be “modelled explicitly after China’s People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force (PLARF)”, noted Group Captain MJ Augustine (retired) in his report in the Eurasian Times.
The PLARF, previously known as the Second Artillery Corps, serves as China’s strategic and tactical missile force. As the fourth branch of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), the PLARF manages China’s land-based missile arsenal, including ballistic, hypersonic, and cruise missiles, both nuclear and conventional.
Group Captain MJ Augustine (retired) explained how Pakistan’s new force being modelled after the one in China, also strengthens the Islamabad-Beijing axis. During Operation Sindoor, China provided Pakistan with real-time intelligence, satellite surveillance, and advanced military hardware. This collaboration, including the use of Chinese-supplied J-10 aircraft and AI-driven systems like CENTAIC, revealed the deep strategic nexus, with China using Pakistan as a testing ground for its military technology.
At the regional level, the ARFC reinforces the China-Pakistan alliance, often referred to as an “all-weather friendship”. Modelled after China’s PLARF, which oversees the country’s extensive missile arsenal for both conventional and nuclear purposes, Pakistan’s force gains from Chinese technology transfers, according to the veteran.
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