India Has To Raise Rocket-Cum-Missile Force Like China And Pakistan, Says Army Chief

On the issue of de-escalation and thereafter de-induction of troops, which are the next steps after disengagement was achieved, the COAS said, those processes are contingent upon force deployment.

Painting a worrisome security picture, the Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi Tuesday said India has decided to raise a ‘Rocket-cum-Missile’ Force in the coming years, especially because both its adversaries-the People’s Liberation Army of China as well as the Pakistan Army-have a force on similar lines. This comes at a time when India recently had a 100-hour long conflict with Pakistan in May 2025 codenamed ‘Operation Sindoor’ which the Army reiterated is still on.

“Rockets and missiles have become interdependent to each other in today’s era. If we want a major impact, then we need both rockets as well as missiles. We are now actively looking at raising rocket-cum-missile forces because, as you are aware, Pakistan has its own rocket forces raised under its Army. China also has a similar force. So this is the need of the hour that the Indian Army also has a force on similar lines,” General Dwivedi said Tuesday addressing a media conference on the eve of the Army Day.

He said the Indian Army is looking at Pinaka, Pralay and BrahMos to be the core components of the rocket force.

The Pinaka is an indigenous, unguided, and guided rocket system developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for rapid, high-volume saturation fire against enemy troop concentrations and infrastructure.

The Pralay is a conventional, road-mobile short-range ballistic missile designed for precision strikes on high-value military targets deep inside enemy territory.

BrahMos is a highly versatile supersonic cruise missile, jointly developed by India and Russia (BrahMos Aerospace), capable of being launched from land, sea, and air platforms.

“This is the need of the immediate hour and sooner we organise such a force, better it will be for us and for the country’s security,” the Army Chief said, adding, it also needs to be determined at what level the rocket force will be required.

“Is it required to be at the army level or is it required directly at the level of MoD or at the level of CDS (Chief of Defence Staff). This is the question which we need to decide. As of today, for example, we are raising under artillery, tomorrow as the requirement increases and we carry out the accretion… Initially the rocket force will be under the artillery. As and when it increases based on the size, scope and the command control, this will see a different avatar,” underscored Gen. Dwivedi.

China’s rocket force is called People's Liberation Army Rocket Force (PLARF), which constitutes the fourth pillar of the PLA having one of the world's most diverse land-based missile arsenals.

Pakistan recently created an Army Rocket Force Command (ARFC) post Operation Sindoor to centralize its conventional and nuclear missile oversight, modelled after China’s PLARF.

Meanwhile, Russia is planning to establish a strategic rocket force under its newly formed Unmanned Systems Forces (USF) within their armed forces.

Active Terror Camps Across LoC, IB With Pakistan

The Army Chief Tuesday also said, ever since Operation Sindoor came to a halt on 10 May, the situation in Jammu and Kashmir “remains sensitive but firmly under control”

“Operation Sindoor remains ongoing. Any future misadventure will be resolutely responded to… In 2025, 35 terrorists were eliminated of which 65 percent were of Pakistan origin, including the three perpetrators of the Pahalgam attack, who were neutralised during Operation Mahadev,” said COAS.

He said active local terrorists are now in “single digits” and terrorist recruitment in J&K is “almost non-existent.”

However, Gen. Dwivedi said that the Army will not relent due to these factors and will continue to maintain heavy presence in J&K, particularly at the Pir Panjal range in Jammu region, which has become a new militant hotbed.

“As far as forces are concerned, as of today we are not relenting at all. No forces are coming back because in my wisdom today approximately 140 terrorists are likely to be within the hinterland, out of which only 10 could be local terrorists, rest could be Pakistani terrorists. If that be the case I cannot sit at rest. Therefore, we are not relenting at all and the forces which were placed there in addition those forces are still there and we will not back down as of today,” the Army Chief said.

The Pir Panjal range has become significant for the Indian Army due to its transformation into a new militant hotbed, exploited by terrorists using its dense forests and challenging terrain for infiltration and attacks, leading to increased casualties, prompting intensified counter-terror operations, troop redeployment, and enhanced focus on securing this crucial border region for stability in Jammu and Kashmir.

The COAS also said there are still as many as eight active terror camps that are operating across the Line of Control (LoC) as well as the International Boundary (IB), or the Radcliffe Line.

“Out of these eight terror camps, two are opposite the IB and six are opposite the LC. In these camps, according to our analysis, training also goes on. Therefore, we are keeping an eye on these camps and gathering intelligence from these camps. And we will take action on them if need be,” he highlighted.

India, China Working Towards Keeping Border ‘Calm’

On managing the Line of Actual Control – the de facto border with China – the Army Chief both sides are working mutually to keep the borders “calm and quiet.”

“There is a kind of a sense of urgency and a sense of acceptance from both the sides to keep the borders as calm as quiet as possible,” COAS said, adding, this is being done by keeping the communication open and that minor issues are resolved “amicably” within that level itself.

“So we have a station level meet, we have a CO level meet and so on up till the core commander and wherever such meetings were not taking place we have proposed in the eastern command also to have such meetings. This has actually drawn the results and in a lot many places small misunderstanding could lead to problems. We have sat down together and solved the issue. This is how we are going about,” he highlighted.

On the issue of de-escalation and thereafter de-induction of troops, which are the next steps after disengagement was achieved, the COAS said, those processes are contingent upon force deployment.

“As far as the issues of force reduction and deployment is concerned, I would like to just say that it is a matter of time, space and resources. So what we look at the forces should be placed in such a manner that they should be able to reach a particular deployment within the stipulated time and within the stipulated numbers. So that is something which we are looking at for the time being,” he added.

In October 2024, India and China reached a significant disengagement agreement for the Depsang and Demchok areas in Eastern Ladakh, restoring traditional patrolling patterns after a four-year standoff, with troop pullbacks and equipment removal, following high-level talks and diplomatic engagement.

This agreement involved restrictions, like patrol team sizes and prior notification, aiming to prevent future clashes, with ongoing discussions for further de-escalation in other friction points, though some experts noted structural issues remained.

This marked a breakthrough in resolving issues from the 2020 Galwan Valley clashes.

However, the COAS said, while the situation remains “stable” in the northern borders, “constant vigil” is needed.