Pakistan has one of the world’s most sophisticated and formidable indigenous missile weapon systems programme. Pakistan has received technological assistance from China in the development of the Hatif and from North Korea in the development of the Ghauri. However to call these Chinese or North Korean missiles is to fail to understand the indigenous capability of Pakistan’s programme. For neither the M-11 nor the No Dong-2 were bought as operational missiles, Pakistan merely received specimen guidance and propulsion systems of these missiles. The actual missiles were developed in Pakistan using Pakistani materials, Pakistani factories and Pakistani fuel as well as Pakistani manpower. The M-11 or the No Dong were never received by Pakistan. Only the technological information such as the engineering plans and guidance systems were received from which Pakistan developed its own missiles. The missile assistance from both China & North Korea was stopped in 1999. Pakistan is not receiving any missile-related technology from any country. Pakistan is now self sufficient in the development of surface to surface ballistic missiles and has a very advanced research, development & production facilities. In effect Pakistan’s missile technology has now surpassed that of North Korea.
A brief summary of the missiles is as follow:
The National Defence Complex is responsible for the production of missiles.
Hatf I: This is a conventional (non-Nuclear) Battlefield Short Range Ballistic Missile, which has a range of 80km and can carry a payload of 500kg, in service with Pak Army.
Hatf 1A: This is an upgrade of the above missile, again, it a conventional (non-Nuclear) Battlefield Short Range surface to surface Ballistic Missile, which has a range of 100km and can carry a payload of 500kg. It was flight tested in 2000 and is now in production.
Hatf II: This is a Short Range Missile that has a single stage solid fuel rocket, it is of conventional type (non-Nuclear) and has a range of 200km. It can carry a payload of 500kg. It was test fired in 2002 and in March 2011. It is now in service with Pak Army.
Hatf III: This is a Short Range Ballistic Missile that has a single stage solid fuel rocket. It has a range of 300km and can carry a payload of 500kg. This is also of conventional type (Non-Nuclear). This missile was first test fired in May 2002, and tested in 2003, November 2004 and again in December 2006. It was handed over for operational use to Pak Army on 22 February 2004.
Hatf IV/ Shaheen I: This is a single stage solid fuel Medium Range Ballistic Missile, it was test flown in 1999 and has a range of 750km that can carry a payload of 1,000kg. It is also capable of carrying a nuclear device. It was handed over to the Pak Army in March 2003 and therefore, is now production & in service with Pak Army. It was successfully test fired again on 8 December 2004.
Hatf IV/ Shaheen 1A: As Shaheen 1, this is an intermediate range ballistic missile. It is upgraded version of Shaheen 1 and has a longer range. Shaheen 1A was successfully test fired on 25 April 2012. The missile’s impact point was in the Indian Ocean.
ShaheenII: This is a 2 stage solid fuel Medium Range Ballistic missile, with the range of 2000km it is capable of carrying a 1000kg payload. It is nuclear capable and was test fired on 9 March 2004, 29 April 2006 and February 2007.
Hatf V/ Ghauri I: This is also a nuclear capable Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile that has a range of 1300km and can carry a payload of 700kg. It was test fired in 1998 and is now in production. Its performance was checked on 29 May, 4 June, October 2004 and December 2010, when it was successfully test fired in field exercises by the Strategic Missile Group of Pak Army.
Hatf VI/ Ghauri II: This is a two stage liquid fuel Medium Range Ballistic Missile that has a range of 2000 to 2300km and can carry a payload of 1,000kg. It is also nuclear capable and was test fired in1999 and is now in production.With the range of this missile all of India would be within the reach of Pakistani missiles.
Ghauri III/ Abdali: With the expected range of 3,000km, this is a 2 stage liquid fuel Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile, this nuclear capable missile was successfully test fired on 27 March 2003. With the range of this missile all of India would be within the reach of Pakistani missiles.
Ghaznavi: This is also a nuclear capable Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile with expected range of 2,500km. It is at the research & development stage and its details are not known.With the range of this missile all of India would be within the reach of Pakistani missiles.
All of the above missiles are surface to surface missiles.
Hatf VII/Babur: : Babur is a Cruise missile, which initially had a range of 500Km which has been increased to 700Km, it is capable of carrying 500Kg of conventional or nuclear payload, mostly at sub-sonic speeds. Babur employs a solid rocket booster for launching before discarding it and transitioning to forward flight with pop-out wings, the power is then provided by a small jet engine. It is designed (as are all cruise missiles) to fly at low altitude and is difficult to detect. The ground launched Babur was successfully test fired on 11 August 2005, again in March 2007, on 26 July 2007, 11 December 2007, 10 February 2011, 28 October 2011and again on 5 June 2012. The last test firing was on 17 September 2012. There are plans to build the aircraft and submarine launched versions. It is now in production.
In 1998, when the US Navy ships fired a numerous Boeing BGM-109 Tomahawk cruise missiles into Afghanistan from the Indian Ocean, a number of these landed in Pakistan and at least two remained unexploded. It is alleged that Pakistan Military personnel retrieved those and hence project 828 was started the following year, to develop a Pakistani cruise missile. This is probably the reason why the Babur resembles Tomahawk. It would be improper to say that Babur is simply a copy of Tomahawk, the Tomahawk has provided the platform on which Pakistani scientist and engineers designed and built a completely new system.
Babur is purely a Pakistan’s indigenous effort whereas India’s cruise missile “Brahmos” which has a range of 300Km, was built with Russian help. Furthermore, it took India much longer to develop the Brahmos than Pakistan’s sole effort of Babur.
In 1998, when the US Navy ships fired a numerous Boeing BGM-109 Tomahawk cruise missiles into Afghanistan from the Indian Ocean, a number of these landed in Pakistan and at least two remained unexploded. It is alleged that Pakistan Military personnel retrieved those and hence project 828 was started the following year, to develop a Pakistani cruise missile. This is probably the reason why the Babur resembles Tomahawk. It would be improper to say that Babur is simply a copy of Tomahawk, the Tomahawk has provided the platform on which Pakistani scientist and engineers designed and built a completely new system.
Babur is purely a Pakistan’s indigenous effort whereas India’s cruise missile “Brahmos” which has a range of 300Km, was built with Russian help. Furthermore, it took India much longer to develop the Brahmos than Pakistan’s sole effort of Babur.
Hatf – IX (Nasr): This is a short range surface to surface, multi-tube ballistic missile, it has a range of 60 Km and has shoot and scoot attributes. The first flight of Hatf – IX (Nasr) was successfully conducted on 18 April 2011. The NASR Weapon System provides Pakistan with short range ballistic missile capability. It was successfully test fired on 29 May 2012.
For air to air missile see under Pak Air Force
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