ARFC — The Strategic Vision: By Omay Aimen

The announcement of the Army Rocket Force Command (ARFC) on Pakistan’s 78th Independence Day did not arrive as a ceremonial statement; it marked a decisive turn in South Asia’s shifting balance of power. For decades, Pakistan relied on its nuclear arsenal as the ultimate deterrent, while conventional missile capabilities remained fragmented across different tiers of military commands, often leading to coordination challenges and diluted effect in combat scenarios. That framework has now been reshaped into a coherent structure, one that positions Pakistan’s rocket and missile forces under a centralised command falling in the realm of conventional warfare.

Unlike the Strategic Plans Division (SPD), which guards the nuclear triad, this new force stands apart, designed to give the country the flexibility to fight, deter and dominate at the conventional level without crossing the nuclear threshold. The creation of ARFC reflects a recognition that wars in the twenty-first century are not only about possession of destructive power, but about precision, speed and the ability to coordinate across multiple theatres simultaneously. Pakistan has learned this lesson through both its own experiences and from observing conflicts in Ukraine, the Middle East, and even along its own border with India, where short-range and medium-range missiles have redefined the battlefield.

The operational necessity of this command became clear after recent engagements, particularly Operation Sindoor of the BJP-led India, where Pakistan sought to employ drones, rockets and cruise missiles to neutralise high-value Indian targets. A deficiency of a unified command lagging in desired synergy and the saturation effect required to overwhelm enemy radars and interceptors warranted overcoming these predicaments in an imminent future aggression by Pakistan’s adversary. By establishing ARFC, Pakistan is directly addressing these operational dictates.

The new command centralises control, allowing for real-time coordination of salvos across multiple platforms, ensuring that rockets and missiles are not just fired but orchestrated as part of a single, overwhelming strike plan. Massed firepower, standardised training, streamlined logistics and integrated intelligence now converge in one structure, elevating Pakistan’s conventional warfighting capability to a new strategic level. It is a deliberate response to India’s pursuit of space for “limited war” under the nuclear shadow, effectively raising Pakistan’s own nuclear threshold by providing powerful non-nuclear options.

At the core of this shift is the modernisation of Pakistan’s rocket and missile arsenal. Systems like Fatah-1 and Fatah-2, with ranges of 140 and 400 kilometres, have already proven precision in the battle. The ARFC, however, extends this reach with platforms like the Fatah-4, striking up to 750 kilometres with near-pinpoint accuracy. This allows Pakistan to hit India’s command centres, logistics hubs and industrial facilities deep inside its territory without nuclear reliance.