Pakistan Army test-fires extended-range Fatah-2 hypersonic missile

The Pakistan Army has successfully test-launched the extended-range version of its Fatah-2 hypersonic ballistic missile, the military’s media wing said on Tuesday, days after a successful test of an extended Fatah-4 cruise missile.

According to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Fatah-2 Extended Range (ER) is equipped with advanced navigation and state-of-the-art avionics, Dawn and Geo News reported.

ISPR released video footage of the launch, showing the missile lifting off from its launch site and climbing steeply into the sky. Neither ISPR nor officials disclosed the missile’s range or where the test took place.

Built to beat missile defences

“It is capable of engaging targets with high precision and defeating [the] enemy’s missile defence systems due to its unique trajectory and manoeuvrability features,” ISPR said.

“Fatah-2 ER, with its extended range, will further enhance [the] army’s reach and capability of engaging deep targets,” it added.

The key points from the ISPR statement:

• Type: a hypersonic ballistic missile, the extended-range version of the Fatah-2 weapon system
• Guidance: advanced navigation and state-of-the-art avionics for high precision
• Survivability: a unique trajectory and manoeuvrability meant to defeat enemy missile defence systems
• Role: extending the army’s reach to engage deep targets

Witnessed by the Rocket Force commander

The test was witnessed by the commander of the Army Rocket Force Command (ARFC), Lt Gen Nauman Zakaria, along with senior army officers and the scientists and engineers associated with the programme. The commander praised the “dedication and technical prowess” of the scientists and engineers, ISPR said.

Leadership congratulates the nation

President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir and the services chiefs congratulated the scientists and engineers on the successful launch, Geo News reported.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also congratulated the nation, calling the test an important advancement in the defence sector, according to the Ministry of Interior.

Second test in days

The launch came days after the army successfully tested the indigenously developed extended version of the Fatah-4 ground-launched cruise missile.

At the time, ISPR said: “Equipped with advanced avionics and state-of-the-art navigational aids, the weapon system is capable of engaging targets at extended ranges with high precision and lethality.”

“The test also validated additional technical parameters of various sub-systems incorporated for improved accuracy and enhanced survivability,” it added.

The two tests came within days of each other:

• Fatah-4 (extended): ground-launched cruise missile, tested last week
• Fatah-2 ER: hypersonic ballistic missile, tested on Tuesday

Why it matters

Pakistan has made clear that its armed forces will keep pace with every threat to its security. A hypersonic missile designed to slip past missile defences and strike deep targets adds weight to the country’s conventional deterrence, built by Pakistani scientists and engineers. Read our report on the Yadgar-e-Fatah monument unveiled in Islamabad.

This article draws on reporting by Dawn, Geo News and ISPR.