Pakistani Ballistic Missile Test Failed

Despite the official announcement that the Nov. 28 test of the Ghauri/Hatf V (Vengeance V) ballistic missile was successful, reports in the local media indicate the missile in fact disintegrated.

The reports were accompanied by images of the missile debris that fell in and around villages in the district of Dadu in the southern province of Sind. They were reportedly quickly secured by the police and then removed by the military.
One piece of the debris was clearly marked “‘Flight Control Computer.’’ Other images show a mass of wires among tubular metal pieces.
The military’s Inter Service Public Relations (ISPR) media branch admitted the debris were part of the Ghauri, but reiterated its earlier claim that the test was a “complete success.”
“The missile during its flight remained within the designated flight path and corridor. The metal parts found in a remote area of Dadu, as reported in media today, were part of the motor body, which separated from the missile as planned, well within the safety corridor,” it stated.
Though the incident caused some distress, but not any casualties or damage to property, the ISPR statement concluded, “It was ensured that at no point, would human life or property be at risk. There is no cause for alarm or concern.”
The missile may have originated from the Tilla missile test-firing range near the Punjabi city of Jhelum. Its trajectory seems to indicate it was heading for impact in Balochistan province, (possibly the Sonmiani firing range), or the Arabian Sea.
Analyst Haris Khan of the Pakistan Military Consortium think tank does not accept the military’s version of events.

Pakistan fires its Ghauri missiles (built at Kahuta) from the Maksood Testing Range next to Jhelum Cantt in Northern Pakistan

Pakistan fires its Ghauri missiles (built at Kahuta) from the Maksood Testing Range next to Jhelum Cantt in Northern Pakistan. Their landing site is usually the sonmiani testing range west of Karachi or the Thal Firing range in central punjab. The flight path distance is 1000 Km only.

Now assuming they fired this missile from the Maksood firing range, just look at what all places lie in the missile's path!

From North to South: 
1. Sargodha airforce base
2. Khushab Nuclear Reactors
3. Thal firing range
4. Shorkot, Jhang
5. Multan & the Chemical Plant complex (U extraction)
6. Sukkur
7. Karachi is very close

Pakistan’s Ghauri Nuclear Missile Test-Launched

Pakistan has test-launched a medium-range, nuclear-capable ballistic missile design named the Ghauri or Hatf-V.

That's according to a statement released on 28 November 2012, which said the firing took place at an unspecified location and described the missile involved as having an 800+ mile range.

The statement added that the Ghauri test launch served to reinforce Pakistan's defence capabilities and that it concluded an exercise designed to ensure that the country's Army Strategic Force Command was operationally deployable.

Ghauri Missile Launch

Overseeing the Ghauri missile launch was Pakistan's National Command Centre, ‘through the medium of the National Command Authority's fully automated strategic command and control support system', officials explained. It's this National Command Authority that watches permanently over Pakistan's nuclear weapons stock.

Once the Army Strategic Force Command's training had finished, approval was given by Raja Pervez Ashraf and Asif Ali Zardari - Pakistan's Prime Minister and President, respectively - who singled-out ‘the proficient handling of the weapon system in the field and the accuracy of the training launch.'

The same medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM) has been launched on previous occasions, apparently from 1998 onwards.

India and Pakistan Missile Flexing: Cruising Towards Regional Instability

Missile testing is currently at an all time high in South Asia. The Indian Navy’s successful test of the supersonic BrahMos cruise missile on 6 October 2012, was the third missile test this month with at least another test (the indigenously built Nirbhay cruise missile) expected in October. The flurry of missile tests in the last few months conducted by both India and Pakistan indicates a competition of one-upmanship that may have negative consequences for strategic stability in the region. In this context, it is important to ascertain what kinds of danger are posed by the testing of such strategic and non-strategic missiles. Can persistent missile testing in the region contain the potential to destabilise South Asian strategic stability?

MISSILES TESTED

The year 2012 has reportedly seen India acquire ICBM (Inter Continental Ballistic Missile) and SLBM (Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile) capacity with the successful testing of the Agni V and the Sagarika/K-15. The Agni V’s declared range of 5000 kms though does not technically qualify it to be an ICBM. Nevertheless, Pakistan and China have not been silent spectators. Pakistan’s response to the Agni V was the intermediate range ballistic missile Shaheen 1A. But the more recent test of the nuclear capable Hatf-VII Babur stealth cruise missile is a more worrying development from the Indian perspective. The Hatf-VII not only possesses the capacity to penetrate advanced air defence systems and ballistic missile defence systems but its range of 700kms also makes this low flying terrain hugging stealth missile a major threat to a large part of North India.

The Indian response to the challenge laid down by the Hatf-VII has been the BrahMos cruise missile that has been jointly developed by the Engineering Research and Production Association of Russia with the Indian DRDO (Defense Research and Development Organisation). The latest version of the BrahMos tested this week was an anti ship missile that flies at a speed of Mach 2.8 and is designed to hit all classes of warships. The Tribune reports that the Talwar class frigate INS Teg, from which the test was conducted has already been armed with this type of missile and two other frigates from the same class – INS Tarkash and INS Trikand shall also be armed with the missile in vertical launch mode.

Importance of HATF VII

Pakistan crossed a major milestone in strengthening its deterrence after the test of its indigenously developed 700 KM range HATF VII cruise missile named Babur on September 17th 2012. Pakistan has been testing and improving its cruise missile systems since 2005 and now maintains land and Air based versions of the system, Babur and Raad respectively. Cruise missiles add to deterrence at both conventional and nuclear realms due to their ability to penetrate modern sophisticated air defense and anti ballistic missile defense networks and are therefore a credible option for counterforce targeting on land and Sea.

Monday’s test was important in two ways. First, it was officially acknowledged for the first time that Babur cruise missile is capable of hitting targets at sea also. Prior to this Pakistan has been testing both Babur and Raad cruise missiles to hit static targets on land. Second, the recently added feature of National Command Authority (NCA) Strategic Command and Control Support System (SCCSS) was tested again. This means providing full situational awareness for decision makers related to all platforms meant for nuclear use. This network centric system further improves nuclear command and control structure and signifies advancement in technological domain.

Pakistan test fires Hatf-VII Babur cruise missile - Hatf 7 Babur Cruise Missile Multi-tube Version Tested

Pakistan today conducted a successful test fire of the indigenously developed multi tube Cruise Missile Hatf-VII (Babur), having a range of 700 kilometers. Babur Crusie Missile is a low flying, terrain hugging missile, which can strike targets both at Land and Sea with pin point accuracy. It carries stealth features. Equipped with modern cruise missile technology of Terrain Contour Matching (TERCOM) and Digital Scene Matching and Area Co-relation (DSMAC), it can carry both nuclear and conventional warheads. The missile was launched from a state of the art Multi Tube Missile Launch Vehicle (MLV), which significantly enhances the targeting and deployment options of Babur Weapon system.
The test was witnessed by Director General Strategic Plans Division Lieutunent General (R) Khalid Ahmed Kidwai, Chairman National Engineering and Scientific Commission (NESCOM) Mr. Muhammad Irfan Burney, senior officers from the armed forces and strategic organizations. In today’s test National Command Authority’s fully automated Strategic Command and Control Support System (SCCSS) was once again employed. It enables robust Command and Control capability of all strategic assets with round the clock situational awareness in a digitized network centric environment to decision makers at National Command

Pakistan’s Babur and Ra’ad Cruise Missiles: Strategic Implications for India

If recent missile tests are any indication, cruise missiles, rather than ballistic missiles, appear to be taking an increasingly more prominent role in Pakistan’s strategic force posture. The Babur (Hatf-7) land-attack cruise missile was inducted in 2010, and has been tested three times since. Pakistan’s newest cruise missile – the air-launched Ra’ad (Hatf-8) – has been tested four times in all, including on 31 May, and is due to be handed over to the armed forces in the not-too-distant future.

Official Pakistani statements following the cruise missile tests have emphasised their “strategic” function. Instead of carrying conventional warheads, the cruise missiles are engineered to deliver either conventional or nuclear payloads. If it can overcome significant technological hurdles – including miniaturising nuclear warheads – Pakistan clearly envisions a nuclear role for its cruise missile programme. In light of the strategic aspirations for the Babur and Ra’ad, how will Pakistan’s new and growing cruise missile arsenal influence India’s strategic behaviour?

Pakistan Nukes How Much is Enough?

Pakistan has been on a shooting spree, conducting five test launches of various nuclear-capable missiles over the last six weeks, raising the question of just how large the country’s nuclear arsenal needs to be to fulfill the relatively simple task of deterring Indian military action.

If the constant rhetoric by Pakistani civilian and military leaders is to be believed, the answer is not a whole lot. Consider the remarks made by Nawaz Sharif two weeks ago in observing the anniversary of Pakistan’s 1998 nuclear tests.

Sharif, who now heads the country’s main opposition party, boasted of the key role he played as prime minister in bringing about this achievement. He asserted that his actions have provided an infrangible guarantee of the country’s security vis-à-vis Indian military might, thereby resolving the fundamental vulnerability that has plagued Pakistan since its tumultuous founding. “India could have attacked Pakistan many times,” he stated, “but due to Pakistan being an atomic power, India could not gather the courage to do so.”

But if Sharif truly believes that the country’s defenses are now impregnable, why doesn’t he speak out against the continuing expansion of Pakistan’s nuclear forces that is rapidly leading Islamabad away from the minimum deterrence posture it declared following the 1998 tests? After all, if he really means what he said, this expansion is not only militarily unnecessary but also diverts precious economic resources away from more pressing national priorities.

Worries have arisen that South Asia is on the verge of a nuclear arms race. Islamabad in particular has added to its armory in dramatic fashion over the past few years and is reportedly on a path to soon eclipse the United Kingdom as the world’s fifth largest nuclear weapons power and to become the fourth largest by the end of the decade, overtaking France. India, in contrast, has been slower in expanding its capabilities and much of its effort is directed at deterring China.

A 2008 U.S. intelligence assessment warned that “despite pending economic catastrophe, Pakistan is producing nuclear weapons at a faster rate than any other country in the world.” It is increasing its capacity to generate plutonium and developing a wide panoply of delivery systems, including a submarine-launched nuclear cruise missile and a ballistic missile with a 60-kilometer range that can deliver a small, low-yield nuclear warhead designed for battlefield use.

So what is driving all this effort? Despite mounting internal security challenges – including a spectacular terrorist assault on the Pakistani army’s general headquarters in Rawalpindi in October 2009 – the armed forces continue to be preoccupied, almost to an excessive extent, with the conventional military balance vis-à-vis India. General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, the powerful army chief, for example, regularly cites the threat posed by the Indian army’s “Cold Start” doctrine – which emphasizes the threat of large-scale but calibrated punitive actions in order to deter Pakistani adventurism.

But Kayani’s alarm is exaggerated, as Cold Start has yet to become much of a reality. Indeed, the government of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh seems to have disowned it. Moreover, the Indian army’s condition does not inspire much confidence that it will soon to able to carry out the doctrine even of it had political support. Military leaders reportedly told Mr. Singh in the days following the November 2008 terrorist strikes in Mumbai that the army was utterly ill prepared to go to war. A 2009 internal assessment that the army submitted to parliament concluded that it would take some two decades for the army to gain full combat preparedness. And in a February 2010 cable to the State Department, Timothy Roemer, the then-U.S. ambassador in New Delhi, assessed that the Cold Start strategy “may never be put to use on a battlefield because of substantial and serious resource constraints.” More recent revelations, including a leaked letter from the chief of army staff to the defense minister, have further underscored the army’s woeful state.

All military establishments tend to inflate the capabilities of their chief adversaries, and the one in Rawalpindi is no exception. But something more fundamental is at work in driving Pakistan’s nuclear buildup: the dysfunctional state of civil-military relations. The army’s fixation on the Indian threat is rooted in large measure in a desire to perpetuate its traditional praetorian role. An important factor, too, is the cloistered nature of the nuclear weapons complex, which not only lacks any semblance of civilian oversight but also does not permit interaction with the broader military establishment.

With decision-making compartmentalized within a small coterie of officials, searching examination is severely constrained on a number of elemental issues, such as the political and military utility of nuclear weapons, the rationales for force posture decisions, as well as the development of sound strategies for possible employment.

One issue in particular that demands more rigorous scrutiny is why Pakistan is moving toward a Cold War-style strategy by acquiring a capacity to execute battlefield nuclear options against invading Indian forces. Tactical nuclear forces might have made sense when the United States and the Soviet Union were attempting to extend their deterrence shields thousands of miles away from their national homelands. But Pakistan needs only to deter its immediate neighbor, whose two largest population centers – Mumbai and Delhi – are within easy reach of existing Pakistani strategic systems.

Moreover, a minimal deterrent posture seems to have worked just fine in safeguarding Pakistani territory from Indian attack during the 1999 Kargil crisis and the 2001-02 military standoff that followed the brazen terrorist attack on the Indian parliament.

The good news is that some Pakistani leaders are starting to inch toward the right questions. Nawaz Sharif in the past has called for a reduction in the heavy share of the budget consumed by the military, a theme that Imran Khan, an increasingly popular opposition leader, repeated this week. General Kayani also recently acknowledged the need for greater balance in defense and development spending.

Parliamentary elections are approaching, perhaps as soon as this fall. Once a new government is in place in Islamabad, it would do well to ask tough questions about the direction of the nuclear program. Maybe then Pakistan can find the resources to address dire domestic needs like an increasingly wobbly fiscal situation, a chronic electrical power crisis that some experts suggest is more of a threat to stability than is terrorism, or a catastrophically underfunded education system that features the lowest enrollment rates in South Asia.

Source = asia Sentinel

Pakistan Successfuly Test Fires Cruise Missile Hatf-VII

Pakistan today conducted a successful test fire of the multi tube, indigenously developed Cruise Missile Hatf-VII (Babur) having a range of 700 kms. Babur Cruise Missile is a low flying, terrain hugging missile with high maneuverability, pin point accuracy and radar avoidance features. It can carry both nuclear and conventional warheads and has stealth capabilities. It also incorporates the most modern cruise missile technology of Terrain Contour Matching (TERCOM) and Digital Scene Matching and Area Co-relation (DSMAC), which enhances its precision and effectiveness manifolds. 
The missile was launched from a state of the art multi tube Missile Launch Vehicle (MLV) which significantly enhances the targeting and employment options of Babur Weapon System in both the conventional and nuclear modes. 
The test was witnessed by Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Khalid Shameem Wynne, Director General Strategic Plans Division, Lieutenant General Khalid Ahmed Kidwai (R), Chairman National Engineering and Scientific Commission (NESCOM), Mr Muhammad Irfan Burney, senior officers from the armed forces and strategic organizations, scientists and engineers. The test will consolidate Pakistan’s strategic deterrence capability, and further strengthen national security.
The successful test has also been warmly appreciated by the President and Prime Minister of Pakistan, who have congratulated the scientists and engineers on their outstanding success.

Pakistan Succesful Test Fired Hatf-VIII Ra`ad AVCM

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Pakistan Conducted a Successful Flight Test of the indigenously developed Air Launched Cruise Missile, Hatf-VIII (Ra’ad). 

 The Ra’ad Missile, with a range of over 350 KM, enables Pakistan to achieve strategic standoff capability on land and at Sea. ‘Cruise Technology’ is extremely complex and has been developed by only a few countries in the world.  The state of the art Ra’ad Cruise Missile with Stealth Capabilities is a Low Altitude, Terrain Hugging Missile with high maneuverability, and can deliver nuclear and conventional warheads with pin point accuracy.

A major additional feature of today’s test was the effective employment of the National Command Authority’s fully automated Strategic Command and Control Support System (SCCSS).  It has enabled robust Command and Control capability of all strategic assets with round the clock situational awareness in a digitized network centric environment to decision makers at National Command Centre (NCC).  The system has the added capability of real time remote monitoring of missile flight path.

Pakistan tests intermediate range ballistic missile

Pakistan successfully test fired a nuclear-capable intermediate range ballistic missile on Wednesday, the military said, less than a week after India test launched a long range missile.

The exact range of the missile was not revealed, but retired General Talat Masood, a defence analyst, told AFP it would be able to hit targets up to 2,500 to 3,000 kilometres (1,550 to 1,850 miles) away -- putting arch-rival India well within reach.

On Thursday India test fired its long range Agni V missile, which can deliver a one-tonne nuclear warhead anywhere in China.

"Pakistan today successfully conducted the launch of the intermediate range ballistic missile Hatf IV Shaheen-1A weapon system," the military said in a statement.

India and Pakistan -- which have fought three wars since independence from Britain in 1947 -- have routinely carried out missile tests since both demonstrated nuclear weapons capability in 1998.

Pakistan's last missile test came last month with the launch of the short-range nuclear-capable Abdali.

Wednesday's missile, which landed in the sea, was a version of the Shaheen-1 with improvements in range and technical parameters, the military said, and can carry nuclear and conventional warheads.

Director General Strategic Plans Division Lieutenant General Khalid Ahmed Kidwai congratulated scientists and engineers on the successful launch, and the accuracy of the missile in reaching the target.

He said the improved version of Shaheen 1A will further consolidate and strengthen Pakistan's deterrence abilities.

Pakistan's arsenal includes short, medium and long range missiles named after Muslim conquerors.

The neighbours were on the brink of nuclear conflict in 2002 over the disputed territory of Kashmir, but a slow-moving peace dialogue resumed last March after a three-year suspension following the November 2008 Mumbai attacks.

India and the United States blamed the attacks on Pakistani militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba and Islamabad later admitted that the assault was at least partly planned in Pakistan.

Pakistani Missiles technology

Pakistan test fires short range ballistic missile hatf-ii

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan said on Monday that it had successfully test fired a short-range ballistic missile capable of carrying atomic warheads.
 
The Hatf II (Abdali) has a range of 180 kilometres (113 miles) and carries nuclear as well as conventional warheads with "high accuracy", the military said in a statement.
 
"It provides an operational level capability to Pakistan's strategic forces, additional to the strategic and tactical level capability which Pakistan already possesses," the statement said.
 
South Asian rivals India and Pakistan -- which have fought three wars since independence from Britain in 1947 -- have routinely carried out missile tests since both demonstrated nuclear weapons capability in 1998.
 
Pakistan's arsenal includes short-, medium- and long-range missiles named after Muslim conquerors.
 
The neighbours were on the brink of nuclear conflict in 2002 over the disputed territory of Kashmir, but a slow-moving peace dialogue resumed last March after a three-year suspension following the November 2008 Mumbai attacks.
 
India and the United States blamed the attacks on Pakistani militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba and Islamabad later admitted that the assault was at least partly planned in Pakistan.

Hatf-1 Short Range Ballistic Missiles (SRBM)

Range: 80km (110km Hatf-Ia), Payload: 500kg
The Hatf-1 (Deadly-1) is a battlefield rocket in a similar class to the Soviet FROG. It is allegedly developed from the French Eridan rocket. It was developed by Pakistan in the 1980s and was in service by 1990. The system may still be operational, but is unlikely to carry nuclear warheads. Unusually for a ballistic missile the launch rail, which elevates to about 70degrees for launch, is mounted on a recycled WWII anti-aircraft gun platform.

Hatf-1 Short Range Ballistic Missiles (SRBM)

 Similar looking is Hatf 2
Hatf-II (first version) Short Range Ballistic Missiles (SRBM)
Range: 280km, Payload: 500kg
The original Hatf-II project was simply a two-stage Hatf-I. The range was claimed to be more than tripled. Although the system was paraded, the project appears to have been abandoned about the time Pakistan bought the more sophisticated M-11 type from China. A new “Hatf-II” missile is now entering service and although it fulfills the same role, it is quite distinct.

M-11 Short Range Ballistic Missiles (SRBM) (China: DF-11)
Range: 300km, Payload: 500kg
Although Pakistan had started development of the Hatf-I and Hatf-II during the 1980s the acquisition of foreign missile technology during the early 1990s was crucial to the future development of more capable missiles. The key technology transfer during this time was the purchase of M-11 short-range missiles which became operational by 1993 and are still in service. It is possible that China was reluctant to supply longer range missiles due to the 300km limit agreed in the 1987 Missile Technology Control Regime. Although development of the M-11 had started in the 1970s it was in 1992 still very modern, and it demonstrates the strength of Pakistan-Chinese relations because a) by exporting this technology China must have known that they were providing Pakistan with the means to develop rockets that would one day range over their own cities and b) it entered service with Pakistan years before it did with China’s own forces.

Ghaznavi Short Range Ballistic Missiles (SRBM) (Hatf III)

 Range: 290km, Payload: 500kg
The Hatf-III is essentially the locally built equivalent to the M-11, although the design is distinct. The missile is solid fuelled for enhanced mobility/shoot and scoot. The final missile was handed over to the Pakistani military in 2007.
Abdali Short Range Ballistic Missile (SRBM) (Hatf II)

 
Range: 200km, Payload: 500kg.
Years after abandoning the Hatf-II, the designation was recycled for a similar but more modern (and presumably more successful) design. The system is probably a replacement for the increasingly obsolete Hatf-I.
Shaheen I Medium Range Ballistic Missile (MRBM)(Hatf IV)

  Range: 750km, Payload: 750kg
The Shaheen-I represents Pakistan’s indigenous MRBM program, and can potentially strike Mumbai and New Delhi from Pakistani soil. It is almost certainly nuclear capable. Being solid fuelled it is far harder to detect prior to launch than the SCUD or other liquid fuelled systems.

Ghauri Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile (IRBM)(Hatf V)
Range: 1,500km (2,500km Hatf-Va), Payload: 700-1,200kg
Although the 750km range of the Shaheen-I was ample to assure nuclear deterrence against India, being able to threaten New Delhi, and even reach Mumbai from the South Eastern tip of Pakistan, Pakistan wanted a longer ranged missile. The 1,500km (some source 1,400km) ranged Ghuari-I missile could range over most of India from Pakistani territory. This was promptly followed up by an enhanced version capable of firing 2,500km.

The Ghauri family is essentially the North Korean NoDong type and represents the technological safeguard against the more advanced indigenous Shaheen program. Having said that, the Ghauri appears to have got the spotlight relative to its more potent stable mate.

Range: 750km, Payload: 750kg
The Shaheen-I represents Pakistan’s indigenous MRBM program, and can potentially strike Mumbai and New Delhi from Pakistani soil. It is almost certainly nuclear capable. Being solid fuelled it is far harder to detect prior to launch than the SCUD or other liquid fuelled systems.

Ghauri Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile (IRBM)(Hatf V)
Range: 1,500km (2,500km Hatf-Va), Payload: 700-1,200kg
Although the 750km range of the Shaheen-I was ample to assure nuclear deterrence against India, being able to threaten New Delhi, and even reach Mumbai from the South Eastern tip of Pakistan, Pakistan wanted a longer ranged missile. The 1,500km (some source 1,400km) ranged Ghuari-I missile could range over most of India from Pakistani territory. This was promptly followed up by an enhanced version capable of firing 2,500km.

The Ghauri family is essentially the North Korean NoDong type and represents the technological safeguard against the more advanced indigenous Shaheen program. Having said that, the Ghauri appears to have got the spotlight relative to its more potent stable mate.

Shaheen II Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile (IRBM)(Hatf VI)

 

Range: 2,500km, Payload: 1,000kg
Although the name implies a close relative of the Shaheen-I, the Shaheen-II is in fact quite different in almost every detail, though most noticeable is the fact that it is much larger being divided into two stages. The fins are also completely different and the TEL is necessarily much longer.

The 2,500km range Shaheen-II is in my estimation the most potent ballistic missile in Pakistani service, being able much quicker to ready and fire than the Ghauri because of its solid-fuel motor.


Babur Cruise Missile (Hatf VII)

 

Range: 700km, Payload: 300-500kg
Developed from technology acquired when several US Tomahawk cruise missile enroot to Taliban targets in Afghanistan crashed in Pakistan, the Babur appears to be a very credible cruise missile.

The initial trials version was launched from a single rail trailer mounted launcher that elevated to nearly vertical for firing. This launcher was also displayed at IDEAS06 defense exhibition with a dummy missile.

Although it is possible that this design is also used for some in-service units, the folding tail fins of the Babar prove that it was always intended for compact box or tube launch. The main in-service Babar unit carries four missiles mounted on an off-road truck chassis similar to those used by Pakistan’s ballistic missiles, although in this case the cab is similar to that of the Chinese M-11. Although it’s not yet clear whether the missile will be fired vertically, I don’t think that is the case after looking at the launcher in more detail. The framework around the box launchers appears to be for some form of hording. (Please see below)