Abstract
The changing nature of warfare in the twenty-first century has solidified long-range precision-strike capabilities and missile warfare as decisive instruments of conventional deterrence and military effectiveness. Contemporary conflicts, such as the Russia–Ukraine war, the Middle East conflict, and India’s Operation Sindoor, demonstrate that future wars will increasingly be shaped by the ability to conduct rapid, precise, and coordinated non-contact strikes against critical military and strategic infrastructure. Against this backdrop, India faces a growing two-front conventional deterrence challenge from both China’s People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force (PLARF) and Pakistan’s newly established Army Rocket Force. Despite possessing advanced missile systems such as BrahMos, Pralay, and Pinaka, India’s strike assets remain dispersed across the three services, limiting their operational effectiveness. This issue brief argues for the urgent establishment of an Integrated Rocket Force (IRF) as a dedicated tri-service command to consolidate long-range strike capabilities, enhance jointness, strengthen Anti-Access/Area-Denial (A2/AD) capabilities, and bridge India’s conventional strike gap. It discusses the hurdles that cause delays and provides recommendations to overcome those hurdles. It concludes on the note that an IRF is no longer merely a modernisation initiative but a strategic necessity for safeguarding India’s security interests in an increasingly contested regional environment.
Keywords: Non-Contact Warfare, PLARF, IRF, A2/AD, Non-conventional deterrence, Operation Sindoor, Russia-Ukraine War, Middle Eastern conflict.
