The term Rocket Force primarily refers to the People's Liberation Army Rocket Force (PLARF), which is the strategic and tactical missile force of the People's Republic of China. It is an institution, specifically the fourth branch of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), managing China's arsenal of land-based ballistic, hypersonic, and cruise missiles, encompassing both nuclear and conventional capabilities.
The PLARF originated as the Second Artillery Corps, established on July 1, 1966, following China's first successful nuclear weapons test in 1964. Premier Zhou Enlai designated it the "Second Artillery Force" for reasons of secrecy, and its initial problem was consolidating China's emerging missile capabilities for strategic deterrence during the Cold War. The institution was formally elevated and renamed the People's Liberation Army Rocket Force on December 31, 2015, as part of broader PLA reforms, establishing it as an independent service branch under the Central Military Commission (CMC).
The PLARF's mechanism involves a highly centralized command structure under the CMC, with its forces organized into six operational missile "Bases" and three support Bases. It operates a diverse inventory, including the DF-26 intermediate-range ballistic missile, known as the "Guam Express," and the DF-21D anti-ship ballistic missile, or "carrier killer". The force maintains a dual mission of nuclear deterrence and conventional precision strike, with its conventional arm being the largest ground-based missile force globally.
The concept connects to India's proposed Integrated Rocket Force (IRF), a tri-service entity first proposed by General Bipin Rawat in September 2021 following the Galwan skirmishes. The IRF is intended to operate India's long-range conventional weapons, such as the Pralay and BrahMos missiles, and is distinct from the existing Strategic Forces Command (SFC), which is tasked with nuclear deterrence. The PLARF's expansion, including the construction of new missile silo-fields, is a primary rationale for India's move to create its own IRF. The recent change in the PLARF was its elevation to a full service branch in 2015, replacing the Second Artillery Corps, which significantly increased its status and focus on both nuclear and conventional capabilities.