Range Development of Pak Army

Short–medium range development[edit]

Comparison by MDA of India and Pakistan's short-range systems.

With the development of BRBM type missiles, the program extended towards the creation of the both short–to–intermediate range system.^[17] Originally, Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was initially interested in seeking the procurement of Chinese M–11 missiles but cancelled the talks due to international pressure in the 1990s.^[17] After convincing arguments, the project went to SRC in 1995 and the development soon began. Codename Ghaznavi, it is the first solid–fuel based short range system with a range of 600km with a payload of 500kg.^[17] The Ghaznavi system was tested in 1997 and is stated to have been a major break-through.^[17] The Ghaznavi is a two-stage solid fuel based missile and an advanced terminal guidance system with an onboard computer.^[17] The DESTO designed five different types of warheads for the Ghaznavi can be delivered with a CEP of 0.1% at 600 km.^[17] It is believed that the design of the Ghaznavi is influenced from the Chinese M-11 missile,^[17] but the military officials have claimed that the Ghaznavi was developed entirely in Pakistan.^[18]

Under the same category of SRBM, the second project which was codename Shaheen, was widely pursued and developed by the National Defence Complex (NDC)– a spinoff of PAEC.^[7] The Shaheen is a series of solid-fuelled missiles and expended well to SRC, NESCOM, DESTO, and Margalla Electronics.^[7] Despite many technological set backs and learning from India's developmental experience of the Agni-II, the project continues to evolve and produced the Shaheen-I which entered in the service in 1999.^[7] The Shaheen project produces two variants that are considered to be in the MRBM range.^[7] The Shaheen-II has a range of 2,500km with a capacity of carrying payload of 1050kg.^[7] Its third variant, the Shaheen-III, rumored to be underdeveloped and is an IRBM range.^[19] No official confirmation of the project is known but only the media reports.^[19]

While Shaheen was developed in 1995, another parallel project was being run under the KRL. Codename Ghauri, the project was aimed towards developing the liquid-fuelballistic missile.^[20] The Ghauri was based on entirely on North Korea's Rodong-1 as its technology heavily reflected the Rodong-1.^[21] The project was supported by Benazir Bhutto who consulted for the project with North Korea and facilitated the technology transfer to KRL in 1993. According to the military officials, the original design was flawed and the missile burned up on re-entry during its first test flight.^[21] The KRL was forced to perform the heavy reverse engineering and had to redesign the entire missile.^[21] With scientific assistance from the DESTO, NDC, and the NESCOM, the first missile Ghauri–I was developed. It was successfully tested on 8 April 1998 and entered in the service.^[21]As Shaheen, the Ghauri evolves and produced Ghauri-II, also in the 1990s. The Ghauri-II has a maximum range of 2,000km (1,200mi) with a payload of 1,200kg.^[21]

Under the Ghauri, its third variant which was codenamed as Ghauri III was underdeveloped by KRL.^[22] The Ghauri III was cancelled in 2000 despite the project being completed its 50% of work.^[23]

Cruise systems[edit]

In 2005 the Hatf VII Babur ground-launched cruise missile was revealed in a public test-firing. Early versions had a range of 500 km but later a 700 km variant was tested. In September 2012 a new launch vehicle was tested, as well as a new command and control system named the Strategic Command and Control Support System. It was stated that the SCCSS would give "decision-makers at the National Command Centre robust command and control capability of all strategic assets with round the clock situational awareness in a digitised network-centric environment." It was also stated that the Babur's guidance system uses terrain contour matching (TERCOM) and digital scene matching and area co-relation (DSMAC) techniques to achieve accuracy described as "pin-point".^[24] The new launch vehicle, a MAZ transporter erector launcher, is armed with three missile rounds launched vertically.

In 2007 the Hatf VIII Ra'ad, an air-launched cruise missile (ALCM) was revealed in a test by the Pakistan Air Force. It has a stated range of 350 km.^[25] A flight test on 31 May 2012 was stated to have validated integration with the new Strategic Command and Control Support System (SCCSS), stated to be capable of remotely monitoring the missile's flight path in real time.^[13] It can avoid radar detection due to its low altitude trajectory.^[26]