On 13 October, Pakistan’s military media wing (ISPR) announced the test of the Fatah-2 ER, an extended-range variant of the Fatah-II, describing it as a hypersonic ballistic missile designed to defeat missile defences through its trajectory and manoeuvrability. The recently established Army Rocket Force Command (ARFC) conducted the launch.
Syed Ali Abbas
Syed Ali Abbas
Syed Ali Abbas is Research Officer & Comm Officer at the Center for International Strategic Studies (CISS) Islamabad. He is also an MPhil scholar in the Department of Strategic Studies at the National Defense University (NDU) Islamabad.
On October 14, the Chinese and Pakistani armies commenced a joint exercise designated as Karakoram-2026 at a training base in Korla, in China’s Xinjiang region. Beijing’s defence ministry called it “the first joint army training between the two countries” and said it would concentrate on counter-terrorism operations in high-altitude areas. The programme covers drone operation, shooting at moving targets, long-range sniping, joint command and live-troop drills.
On 30 September 2026, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced plans for an Autonomous Warfare Command, or AutoWarCom. The four-star combatant command, with service-like acquisition authorities, would build and supply robotic and autonomous capabilities across the joint force. The Pentagon’s memo targets October 2027, subject to congressional approval.
The general debate of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, which concluded in New York in September, showed how far the institution has drifted from its founding purpose. States continue to invoke the rules-based order while increasingly bypassing the body that embodies it.
Deterrence relies on military capability, but its effect is psychological. Nuclear weapons, missile defences, alliances and conventional forces shape how an adversary assesses the risks and costs of aggression. Bernard Brodie placed credible retaliation at the centre of nuclear deterrence, arguing that military power in the nuclear age should prevent war rather than win it.
The Makkah Joint Defence Agreement between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye marks an important shift in regional security cooperation. The three countries have agreed to support one another without defining a permanent threat. Each state will retain its existing alliances, partnerships, and foreign-policy priorities.
The shift of India’s military transformation from concept to structure is underway. The first Integrated Battle Groups (IBGs) are now operational, theatreisation proposals are in final government discussions, and 2026 is being pushed as the Year of Networking and Data Centricity, so what seemed like a series of separate enhancements looks now like a unified redesign. Theatreisation, IBGs, Rudra Brigades, Bhairav and Baaz Battalions and longer-range precision systems are all significant changes to the way the force commands, packages combat power, and turns information into effect.
The Indian Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) has proposed three theatre commands, including a Western Theatre built explicitly around Pakistan and placed under Air Force leadership, with implementation expected to be completed soon.
Missiles have emerged as a central instrument of contemporary asymmetric warfare, particularly for states operating under conditions of conventional inferiority, external pressure, and sustained strategic competition.
On 29 June 2026, outgoing Indian Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi announced the raising of specialised Baaz battalions under the…
