Context

• Modern warfare is increasingly shaped by advanced missiles, enabling states to achieve strategic objectives with greater speed, precision, and lower costs.
• Conventional missiles have become instruments of political coercion, capable of disrupting critical infrastructure, military assets, and decision-making without immediately escalating into nuclear conflict.
• China's expanding missile arsenal poses a significant challenge to India's security, making it necessary to strengthen conventional deterrence through doctrinal, organisational, and technological reforms.

China's Missile Capabilities

• China possesses a substantial missile advantage through systems such as DF-15B, DF-16, DF-21C, DF-26, and DF-100.
• While short- and medium-range missiles can strike military installations along the border, the DF-26 and hypersonic missiles can target strategic assets deep inside India with minimal warning.
• This capability reduces the strategic protection traditionally offered by the Himalayas and allows China to combine border operations with long-range missile strikes.
• Since the DF-26 is a dual-role missile, it also increases the risk of conflict escalation.

India's Strategic Vulnerabilities

• India's missile capability is still evolving. Systems such as Agni, BrahMos, Nirbhay, and the Long-Range Land Attack Cruise Missile (LR-LACM) have not yet been fully integrated into a unified strike architecture.
• Additional weaknesses include limited real-time targeting, finite missile stockpiles, and the absence of an operational Rocket Force.
• Without a dedicated missile command, India may be forced to absorb a large-scale missile attack before responding effectively, weakening deterrence and increasing strategic vulnerability.

The Way Forward

• Need for a Dedicated Rocket Force
  • A unified Rocket Force should function under the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and operate through a single command structure.
  • It must achieve three objectives: hold the Western Theatre Command and key military facilities in Tibet and Xinjiang at risk, degrade enemy logistics such as roads, railways, and airbases, and support battlefield commanders by targeting troop concentrations, artillery positions, and ammunition depots.
  • Such a force would establish mutual vulnerability, raising the costs of any conventional missile campaign against India.
• Doctrinal and Technological Reform
  • India's military doctrine should incorporate counter-value strikes alongside counter-force operations to strengthen conventional deterrence.
  • A unified target list, pre-designated strike plans, and delegated launch authority would enable rapid responses during the opening phase of a conflict.
  • Technological modernisation is equally important. Greater participation by the private sector, alongside DRDO, can accelerate missile production and innovation.
  • Increased investment in research and development, hypersonic technology, semiconductors, advanced propulsion systems, and indigenous manufacturing would reduce dependence on foreign suppliers while enhancing strategic self-reliance.
• Interim Defence Measures
  • Since establishing a Rocket Force will require time, immediate measures are essential.
  • India should disperse Indian Air Force assets, harden airbases, strengthen air defence, improve satellite surveillance, and expand long-range conventional strike capabilities.
  • These measures would reduce vulnerability, complicate enemy targeting, and improve the ability to detect and neutralize mobile missile launchers.

Conclusion

• The growing importance of conventional missiles has transformed the character of modern warfare.
• China's expanding missile capabilities challenge India's existing defence posture and demand a comprehensive response.
• Building a credible conventional rocket force, modernising military doctrine, strengthening indigenous defence production, and implementing immediate defensive measures would enhance India's ability to deter coercion, maintain strategic stability, and respond effectively to future missile conflicts below the nuclear threshold.