US Faces Pakistan Missile Risk, Says Tulsi Gabbard
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Tulsi Gabbard, America’s top intelligence official, delivered a sobering message to Congress: Pakistan’s ballistic missile program could one day threaten the US directly. In her March testimony unveiling the 2026 Annual Threat Assessment, she warned the House Intelligence Committee of Islamabad’s ICBM aspirations.
‘Capabilities are advancing toward intercontinental range, potentially striking the US homeland,’ Gabbard articulated. This aligns Pakistan with aggressors like Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran, who are rolling out sophisticated nuclear-armed missiles.
A projected quadrupling of global missiles to over 16,000 by 2035 signals an arms boom unseen in decades. While Pyongyang’s ICBMs are battle-ready for US targets, Pakistan lurks as an emerging contender.
Gabbard outlined penetrative technologies—hypersonics, decoys, and electronic warfare—that challenge US interceptors. Reliance on nuclear deterrence persists, but diversification is imperative amid cyber-AI fusion in weaponry.
Fueled by strategic competition with India, Pakistan’s arsenal includes proven nuclear vectors, heightening regional volatility with global ripples.
The briefing spurred calls for R&D surges in defensive tech, allied intelligence fusion, and diplomatic pressure on proliferators. Gabbard’s insights frame a precarious era, where missile mastery could tip power balances and ignite conflicts. Sustained vigilance and innovation remain the bulwarks against this rising tide.
