Pakistan Defense News

ISLAMABAD — Pakistan’s recent test of a short-range ballistic missile shows the military’s progress toward developing a response to India’s anti-ballistic missile (ABM) program, officials said. The Feb. 15 firing of its Hatf-II/Vengeance-II Abdali missile was the latest test of its short-range ballistic missile arsenal, which can be armed with tactical nuclear warheads. A press release by the military’s Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) stated the test-firing was “part of the process of validation of land-based ballistic missile systems.” The 180-kilometer-range missile can carry nuclear or conventional warheads and has “varied maneuverability options” providing an “an operational level capability,” the statement said. Mansoor Ahmed from Quaid-e-Azam University’s Department of Defence and Strategic Studies, who specializes in Pakistan’s national deterrent and delivery program, highlights this latter aspect as the reason for the test in response to arch-rival India’s ABM effor...

TEHRAN: The Iranian Navy is establishing a new naval base on its coast of the Gulf of Oman. The location is Pasabandar, near Iran's border with Pakistan, reported Fars news agency. The move came as Pakistan prepared to sign an agreement with a Chinese firm to hand over the control of Gwadar Port. "The naval base which is under-construction is located in our country's far east coasts in the Gwatr Gulf along the borders with Pakistan," Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said on Sunday. He said that the Navy has intensified its efforts to develop the Makran coasts, which stretches from Iran's port city of Bandar Abbas to Makran (also known as Pasabandar). (Monitoring Desk) Iran to establish naval base near Gwadar

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has made a high-level contact with India for the return of its soldier, Sepoy Ikhlaq, resident of Saydan who had mistakenly crossed the LoC in Khoi Rata sector, Geo News reported Friday. Military sources said that Pakistani soldier had mistakenly crossing the LoC entering into the Indian held area last night, adding that Pakistan has demanded that the Soldier or his body be returned - as the case may be. Meanwhile the Indian media reports that the sepoy has been killed, and his body will be returned today. Pakistan demands return of Sepoy Ikhlaq, from India

ISLAMABAD — The Feb. 11 test of the Hatf-IX (Vengeance-IX)/Nasr is evidence that Pakistan is leaning more heavily on its nuclear deterrent in the face of an increasing conventional and non-conventional imbalance relative to arch-rival India, said Mansoor Ahmed from Quaid-e-Azam University’s Department of Defence and Strategic Studies. Ahmed specializes in Pakistan’s national deterrent and delivery programs. According to a Feb. 11 press release by the military’s Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) media arm, “successive launches of two missiles” were carried out from a “multi-tube launcher” able to fire a four-missile salvo. It described the 60-kilometer-range Nasr as a “quick response system” that “ensures deterrence against threats in view of evolving scenarios.” It went on to state Nasr had been “specially designed to defeat all known anti-tactical missile defense systems”. Ahmed said there are several important aspects in the latest test. The reference to the Nasr being abl...

Pakistan today conducted a successful test fire of Short Range Surface to Surface Missile Hatf IX (NASR), said ISPR. The test fire was conducted with successive launches of two missiles from a state of the art multi tube launcher. NASR, with a range of 60 km, and inflight maneuver capability can carry nuclear warheads of appropriate yield, with high accuracy. Additionally NASR has been specially designed to defeat all known Anti Tactical Missile Defence Systems. The missile capable of carrying nuclear warheads for delivery over short ranges is said to possess ‘shoot and scoot’ attributes, which refer to the military tactic of firing at a target with accuracy and immediately relocating to another position to avoid counter-fire from enemy positions. The successful test has also been appreciated by the President and Prime Minister who have congratulated the scientists and engineers on their outstanding success. Pakistan test fires short range missile Hatf IX (NASR)

ISLAMABAD — Pakistan is integrating its nuclear-capable Hatf VII/Vengeance VII Ra’ad air launched cruise missile onto its JF-17 Thunder aircraft, but analysts are unsure if this signifies a nuclear deterrence role for the aircraft. Air Commodore Khalid Mahmood at the JF-17 Project Management Office said integration work was ongoing with Chinese and Pakistani weapons, and that “most weapons have been integrated”. “Ra’ad and the H-4 [glide bomb] will be for the Block I and Block II” aircraft currently in or about to enter service, not just the forthcoming Block III variant, he said. Former Air Force pilot and analyst Kaiser Tufail said, “It makes good sense to get on with the wiring as well as flight trials of these weapons on the JF-17 at this stage. For one thing, all subsequent production aircraft would have the mod integrated from the outset and there will be no need for retrofits that also result in long down times at the flight lines. Secondly, the whole process is lengthy and...