ISLAMABAD -- Pakistan on
Friday successfully conducted flight test of indigenously developed air launched
cruise missile, which "can deliver nuclear and conventional warheads with great
pin point accuracy," the army said.
The "Hatf-VIII Ra'ad Cruise Missile" has the
range of 350 kilometers, an army statement said.
The missile has been developed exclusively for
launch from aerial platforms, the statement from the Inter-Services Public
Relations said.
"The missile test was conducted as part of the
continuous process of improving the technical parameters of the weapon system,"
it said.
The statement said the missile system has
enabled Pakistan to achieve a greater strategic stand off 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 great pin point accuracy," it said.
The successful launch has been appreciated by
the president, the prime minister of Pakistan, and chairman of the Joint Chiefs
of Staff Committee who congratulated the scientists and engineers on their
outstanding achievement.
Defense analysts said that Ra'ad is an air
launched cruise missile which can be fired from all the aircraft in the Pakistan
Air Force. The cruise missile can be used in an anti-shipping role via aircraft
against the ground/static targets.
Ra'ad in Arabic means "Thunder" which will
provide Pakistan a great strategic stand off capability of land and sea. The
missile has low detection probability due to stealth design and materials used
in creating the missile.
Analysts said the biggest benefit of having this
air launched cruise missile is stand off capability it has given to
Pakistan.
Pakistan Air Force can target ground radars, and
other specific military targets well beyond the visual range of the enemy.
Pakistan has H-2 (60KM), H-3 (120KM) stand off weapons in its inventory and
Ra'ad cruise missile will only add more range to its inventory giving it a three
tier stand off capability at all times, day and night, analysts said. Xinhua
