Sunday, June 8, 2014

Babur Hatf 7 Missile Of Pakistan

Babur (named after the first Mughal Emperor Zahir ud-Din Babur), also designated Hatf VII, is the first land attack cruise missile to be developed by Pakistan.
Launched from ground-based transporter erector launchers, warships and submarines, the Babur can be armed with a conventional or nuclear warhead and has a reported range of 700 km (430 mi). The missile is designed to avoid radar detection and penetrate enemy air defenses. Serial production of the Babur started in October 2005.
Origin :-
It has been speculated that Babur is based on the BGM-109 Tomahawk cruise missile, after six Tomahawks crash-landed on Pakistani territory in 2001 during US airstrikes on targets in Afghanistan, and its design seems to show this influence. The propulsion system appears to approximate that of BGM-109 Tomahawk according to videos of its launch. However, there is no confirmation of this and the Pakistani missile development organization NESCOM has rejected this theory.
Babur is believed to have been developed in response to reports that India was planning to acquire Patriot missiles from the US, in order to set up a ballistic missile defense system to counter Pakistan's arsenal of ballistic missiles.
Design :-
The Babur's airframe is made up of a tubular fuselage, with a pair of folded wings attached to the middle section and the empennage at the rear along with the propulsion system. Propelled by a jet engine (either turbofan or turbojet), the Babur has a maximum speed of approximately 550 mph. On launch, a booster rocket provides additional thrust to accelerate the missile away from the launch vehicle. After the launch the wings unfold, the booster rocket is jettisoned and the jet engine started.

Babur Hatf 7 Missile Of Pakistan
Babur Hatf 7 Missile Of Pakistan Ejecting From MLV Launch Vehicle
Guidance :-

The Babur's guidance system uses a combination of inertial navigation systems, terrain contour matching (TERCOM) and GPS satellite guidance. The guidance system reportedly gives the missile pinpoint accuracy. GPS access is not guaranteed under hostile conditions so the latest production models have also reportedly incorporated the Russian GLONASS. Future software and hardware updates could include the European Union's GALILEO and China's Beidou navigation system.
Features :-
The missile is stated to have a high degree of maneuverability, allowing it to "hug" the terrain, and "near-stealth" capabilities. Terrain hugging ability helps the missile avoid enemy radar detection by utilizing "terrain masking", giving Babur the capability to penetrate enemy air defence systems undetected and survive until reaching the target. The missile's design features can be compared with the American BGM-109 Tomahawk cruise missile.
More advanced versions of the Babur are under development. Later versions are planned to have a range of 1000 km and be capable of being launched from Pakistan Navy submarines such as the Agosta 90B Khalid class.
Operational History Of Babur Cruise Missile :-
On August 12, 2005, Pakistan publicly announced that it had successfully test fired a nuclear-capable cruise missile with a range of 500 km. The missile was launched from a land based transporter erector launcher (TEL). The unannounced launch on 11 August 2005 caught much of the international community by surprise due to the technically advanced nature of the missile, as well as the fact that Pakistan did not notify India of its test-firing as the existing notification agreement is limited to ballistic missile testing only.
On March 22, 2007, Pakistan test-fired an upgraded version of the Babur with an extended range of 700 km. Pakistan carried out two more tests of Babur on July 26, 2007 and December 11, 2007. On May 6, 2009, Pakistan conducted another test-firing but did not announce the event until 9 May 2009, citing political reasons.
On October 28, 2011. Pakistan successfully test fire its Babur Cruise missile and has a range of 700 kilometer. The ISPR said Babur was capable of carrying conventional and atomic warheads. A special feature of this launch was the validation of a new multi tube Missile Launch Vehicle (MLV) during the test. The three tube MLV enhances manifold the targeting and deployment options in the conventional and nuclear modes. With its shoot-and-scoot capability, the MLV provides a major force multiplier effect for target employment and survivability.
On June 6, 2012 Pakistan conducted a successful test-fire of the multi-tube, indigenously developed Cruise Missile Hatf-VII (Babur), which can carry both nuclear and conventional warheads with stealth capabilities. It was the third test-fire conducted by Pakistan in the recent past, of different capacity and load. “It can carry both nuclear and conventional warheads and has stealth capabilities,” said an official announcement of the ISPR. “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.”

Friday, June 6, 2014

Shaheen 3 Missile System

The Shaheen 3 is a Pakistani intermediate-range ballistic missile speculated to be in development. It is a member of the solid-fueled Shaheen series missile family and is envisioned to replace the less advanced liquid-fueled Ghauri-III system whose development was canceled in May 2000 according to Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan, Pakistan's former top scientist. The Shaheen series systems are developed jointly by Pakistan's SUPARCO and the NESCOM and its subsidiary, NDC.

Shaheen 3 Missile System
Shaheen 2 Missile Of Pakistan Army

Thursday, June 5, 2014

Shaheen 2 Missile

The Shaheen 2 is a ballistic missile developed by NESCOM's National Defense Complex (NDC) of Pakistan. The Shaheen missile series is named after a falcon that lives in the mountains of Pakistan. The missile is considered to be Pakistan's equivalent to the US Pershing II.
Description :-
The Shaheen 2 is a, a longer ranged variant of the Shaheen 1 missile. It is currently the most advanced ballistic missile in service with the Pakistani Armed Forces. It uses a two-stage solid propellant rocket motor designed to carry conventional or nuclear payloads. It is transported and launched by a 6-axle transporter erector launcher (TEL). According to U.S. based analysts, a satellite image of a Pakistani missile production facility taken on 5 June 2005 shows fifteen 6-axle TELs being fitted out for the Shaheen 2 missile.

Shaheen 2 was successfully test fired for the first time on March 9, 2004. At that time, the National Engineering and Science Commission (NESCOM) chairman Samar Mubarakmand stated that the missile was a two-stage rocket with diameter of 1.4 m, length of 17.5 m, weight of 25 tons and a range of 2,500 km.
Re Entry Vehicle Of Shaheen 2 Missile System :-
The re-entry vehicle carried by the Shaheen 2 missile has a mass of 1050 kg, which includes the mass of a nuclear warhead and a terminal guidance system.
Shaheen 2 Missile
Shaheen 2 Missile Of Pakistan Army
This re-entry vehicle is unlike that of the Shaheen 1 in that it has four moving delta control fins at the rear and small solid/liquid-propellant side thrust motors, which are used to orientate the re-entry vehicle after the booster stage is depleted or before re-entry to improve accuracy by providing stabilization during the terminal phase. This can also be used to fly evasive manoeuvres, making it problematic for existing anti-ballistic missile (ABM) systems to successfully intercept the missile. The Shaheen 2 warhead may change its trajectory several times during re-entry and during the terminal phase, effectively preventing ABM radar systems from pre-calculating intercept points. The re-entry vehicle is also stated to utilize a GPS satellite guidance system to provide updates on its position, further improving its accuracy and reducing the CEP.
Foreign sources claim the missile to have an accuracy of 350 m CEP based on speculation that the design is the same or similar to one of several Chinese systems such as the M-18 or DF-25. However, according to a press video shown by NDC at the IDEAS 2004 Defense exhibition in Pakistan, the missile can achieve "surgical precision". This has led to speculation that Shaheen 2 incorporates a satellite navigation update system and/or a post separation attitude correction system to provide terminal course correction, which "may indicate a CEP of much less than 300 m." According to Harsh Pant, reader of international relations at the Defense Studies Department of King's College London, "the current capability of Pakistani missiles is built around radar seekers."
Future Developments :-
Since deployment of the 2,500 km range Shaheen 2, a multiple independently targeted re-entry vehicle (MIRV) system is under development which may be first fielded on the Shaheen 2.

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

The Ghauri-III Of Pakistan Strategic Forces

The Ghauri-III was an intermediate-range ballistic missile which was cancelled during its development stage. The Ghauri-III reportedly started development around 1999 with a planned range of over 3,000 km. Few details were known, but Ghauri III was presumed to be road mobile, being transported and launched by a transporter erector launcher. The warhead, like other Pakistani ballistic missiles, was believed to be either conventional or nuclear and guided by an inertial guidance system. The missile never entered service.
In May 2004 it was rumoured that the missile would be tested in June of that year. No test occurred in that year. Similarly in 2009 it was again reported that missile would be tested in August of that year but again no test took place.
Little public information was available about the missile until it was reported on 28 May 2011 that, according to the memoirs of Abdul Qadeer Khan published that day, the funding for the development of the Ghauri III missile system was stopped in May 2000 by then President Pervez Musharraf. Around 50% of the missile's development project was completed by that time.

Ghauri I Missile System
Approaching Target

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

PAF F16 Fighting Falcons Dropping Bombs On Target

PAF F-16B MLU from No.11 Sqn dropping a pair of 2000lbs each Mk-84/GBU-10 bombs at target. MLU F-16s are operational in two squadrons of PAF.

PAF F16 Fighting Falcons Dropping Bombs On Target
PAF F16 Fighting Falcons Dropping Bombs On Target

Monday, June 2, 2014

Ghauri-II Missile Of Pak Army

Ghauri I Missile System
Approaching Target

The Ghauri-II is a medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM). A longer ranged variant of the Ghauri-I, it was developed by increasing the length of the motor assembly and using improved propellants.

Development :-
The Ghauri-I started development at the Khan Research Laboratories in 1993, with the first flight test occurring in 1998. The first flight test of the Ghauri-II took place in 1999 and the missile was handed over to the armed forces. Flight testing and improvements for both missiles continued into 2004.
Design :-
The Ghauri-II missile has a maximum range of 2,000 km (1,200 mi). It is 18.0 m in length, has a diameter of 1.35 m and a launch weight of 17,800 kg. Its payload is a single separating warhead weighing 1,200 kg, or as low as 750 kg for use at its maximum range. This may used to carry a 250 kg warhead of a 15 to 30 KT yield nuclear, HE or sub-munitions warhead. The missile uses a single-stage liquid propellant rocket motor.
The Ghauri-II design improves accuracy by a employing mechanisms that spin the single booster stage and warhead combination approximately 10 seconds before the termination of the powered flight phase at 110 seconds. At this point, the warhead is then separated from the booster stage to fly on a re-entry trajectory that remains stable to its target, greatly enhancing the missile's accuracy. With the addition of GPS targeting the warhead accuracy is further enhanced. Like most Pakistani missile systems, transporter erector launcher (TEL) vehicles are used to transport and launch Ghauri II.

Sunday, June 1, 2014

Pak Army Will Train Royal Army Of Oman

A delegation headed by Major General Matar bin Salim bin Rashid Al Bulushi, Commander of the Royal Army of Oman called on Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif, today at General Headquarters.
During meeting with COAS, matters of mutual interest with particular reference to enhanced military cooperation in the field of training were discussed. Later, the delegation was given detailed briefing on operational and training activities of Pakistan Army.
Earlier on his arrival, the visiting dignitary was presented guard of honour by a smartly turned out contingent of Pakistan Army. Major General Matar bin Salim bin Rashid Al Bulushi also laid  floral wreath at Yadgar-e-Shuhada.

Pak Army Will Train Royal Army Of Oman
Major General Matar bin Salim bin Rashid Al Bulushi,
Commander of the Royal Army of Oman