Islamabad: The security environment in South Asia is changing rapidly, and defense experts say that modern war technologies have presented new challenges to conventional and nuclear defence concepts in the region.
Nearly three decades after the historic nuclear explosions at Chagai, Pakistan’s defence strategy is entering a phase where conventional warfare, missile technology, drones, electronic warfare and artificial intelligence-based systems are playing a significant role.
During the Shangri-La Dialogue held in Singapore, Lieutenant General Noman Zakaria, Commander of the Rocket Corps of the Pakistan Army, emphasised that emerging technologies have changed the nature of conflicts between states. According to him, decision-making times have decreased while the possibilities of miscalculations and unintentional tensions have increased.
According to defence experts, the tension between Pakistan and India in May 2025 made it clear that nuclear weapons were effective in preventing full-scale war, but they did not completely stop limited military operations, drone strikes, missile operations and electronic warfare.
In this context, the establishment of the Army Rocket Force Command by Pakistan is being described as a significant development. According to officials, it is a force based entirely on conventional capabilities that has nothing to do with the nuclear command and control system.
Defence analysts say that in the modern era, precision-guided weapons and long-range missiles have become strategic assets rather than just war tools. The progress made in Pakistan’s Fateh missile programme is also being seen in this context.
Defence experts believe that strong conventional defence capabilities can provide decision-makers with more options during a crisis, which can help contain tensions before they reach the nuclear level.
According to diplomatic and security circles, Pakistan’s nuclear capability will remain the primary guarantee of national security, but in the changing regional context, making conventional defence systems more effective is also becoming an important component of national security.
Analysts say that in the future, Pakistan will need a balanced defence strategy in which modern conventional capabilities serve as the first line of defence, while nuclear power remains as the last line of defence.
