In an era where military technology serves as a proxy for diplomatic ties between superpowers producing military equipment and the nations purchasing it, with the strength of these relationships reflected in the sophistication of weapon systems offered, the Pakistan Navy’s successful test flight of a domestically developed ship-launched ballistic missile marks a significant milestone. This achievement not only advances Pakistan’s military capabilities but also reduces its dependence on international arms suppliers, mitigating the influence of global politics on its defence strategy. The missile itself provides Pakistan with a new, vital capability, complementing its existing arsenal of subsonic missiles deployed from submarines, land, and surface naval vessels, as well as other cruise missile systems.
With rapid advancements in global anti-missile technology, particularly as the U.S., Russia, and China integrate sophisticated missiles into their military arsenals, Pakistan needed to update its own technological capabilities to maintain a strategic edge against regional threats. The most notable aspect of this development is not just the missile’s capacity—being a supersonic ballistic missile capable of striking targets over 350 kilometers away—but the fact that it was developed indigenously. This marks a conscious shift away from reliance on powerful states for armaments. The dependence on foreign suppliers has historically placed Pakistan in a vulnerable position. The most prominent example is Pakistan’s reliance on its F-16 fleet, once the mainstay of its air force. This dependence meant that the U.S. controlled the flow of spare parts, maintenance equipment, and even munitions, leveraging this control to limit Pakistan’s operational capabilities as needed. In times of political tension, this allowed the U.S. to effectively curb Pakistan’s military options. Such experiences propelled Pakistan to develop its own JF-17 Thunder jets to replace an aging fleet sourced from foreign suppliers and have motivated similar initiatives towards greater self-reliance.
Pakistan must continue to draw lessons from global conflicts, such as the ongoing wars in Ukraine and Russia, and place greater emphasis on homegrown weapons systems and asymmetric warfare strategies, including drones and unmanned combat vehicles.