Hatf III ( Ghaznavi) Ballsitic Missile Of Pakistan Army

Rawalpindi - April 22, 2014

Hatf III ( Ghaznavi) Ballsitic Missile Of Pakistan Army

Pakistan today conducted a successful training launch of Short Range Surface to Surface Ballistic Missile Hatf III (Ghaznavi), which can carry nuclear and conventional warheads to a range of 290 kilometers. The successful launch concluded the Field Training Exercise of Strategic Missile Group of Army Strategic Forces Command.

The Training Launch was witnessed by the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, General Rashad Mahmood, Director General Strategic Plans Division, Lieutenant General Zubair Mahmood Hayat, Commander Army Strategic Forces Command, Lieutenant General Obaid Ullah Khan, Chairman NESCOM, Mr Muhammad Irfan Burney and other senior military officials and scientists.

Addressing the troops in the exercise area,  Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee commended the troops on achieving technical and operational excellence in operating the state of the art weapon system. He expressed his satisfaction over the training goals achieved during the exercise and expected that the officers and men entrusted with the task of deterring aggression would continue to maintain professional excellence.

The Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, General Rashad Mahmood also congratulated all the Scientists and Engineers for  the successful launch of Ghaznavi Missile, as another mile stone which has further strengthened the defence potential of Pakistan besides assuring peace in the region.

The successful test has also been warmly appreciated by the President and Prime Minister of Pakistan who congratulated the participating troops, scientists and engineers on their outstanding achievement.

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Ghaznavi Missile System Of Pakistan

The Hatf-III named Ghaznavi Missile is a short range ballistic missile (SRBM) with an optimal range of 290 km, produced by Pakistan and named after the 11th century Muslim Turkic conqueror Mahmood of Ghazni. The missile has a length of 9.64m, diameter of 0.99 m, launch weight of 5256 kg and is powered by a single stage solid fuel rocket motor. It is believed to be based on a Chinese design, the M-11 (NATO reporting name: CSS-7)

Operational History Of Ghaznavi Missile System :-

Ghaznavi Missile System Of Pakistan

The Ghaznavi was reported to have been test-launched in late September/early October 2003 and was reported to be ready for service in March 2004. Another test launch occurred in late November 2004, with two more on 9 December 2006 another on 13 February 2008 and 8 May 2010; the 2008 test was believed to have concluded a winter training exercise of Pakistan's Army Strategic Force Command (ASFC). In May 2012, one more successful test of the missile was conducted as part of a training exercise.

Naming Controversy Created By Afghan Government :-

In February 2006, the Government of Afghanistan delivered a complain to Pakistan over naming its lethal ballistic missiles after Afghan kings and rulers (i.e. Abdali, Ghaznavid and Ghauri), arguing that their names should be bracketed with academic, cultural and peace-promoting institutions, not with tools of destruction and killing. However, Pakistan declined to change the missiles' names stating that these Muslim rulers are considered heroes in Pakistan as well, and naming missiles after them is not controversial.

Baktar Shikan

The HJ-8 or Hongjian-8 is a second generation tube-launched, optically tracked, wire-guided anti-tank missile system which was originally deployed by the People's Liberation Army since the late 1980s. Pakistan produces this missile system under license as the Baktar-Shikan at Kahuta Research Laboratories. It is able to defeat explosive reactive armour (ERA).

Development Of Baktar Shkan :-

In 1970, Chinese armored corps first proposed to develop a successor to HJ-73 and this was later approved, designated as the AFT-8 or HJ-8. The missile was jointly developed by Research Institute 203 and 282nd Factory, but the program was interrupted by political turmoil. The key designers were Wang Xingzhi and Zhao Jiazheng, who developed the missile. Development was not completed until early 1980s, after the end of the Cultural Revolution. After receiving state certification the missile entered mass-production in 1984. HJ-8 is an optically tracked, wire guided ATGM. A series of upgraded variants have been developed since. HJ-8 and its variants are manufactured by NORINCO's Factory 282 (Jiangnan Machine Factory), Factory 5618 (Hunan South China Photoelectricity Instrument Plant) of China and Kahuta Research Laboratories of Pakistan.

Baktar Shikan Missile Of Pakistan At Display

The HJ-8 series can be considered the Chinese equivalent of the American BGM-71 TOW and Franco-German MILAN / Euromissile HOT anti-tank missiles. HJ-8 is a tube-launched, optically tracked and wire-guided missile system armed with a HEAT anti-tank warhead. The HJ-8 is a combination many experts believe of three Western antitank missile systems obtained from nations in the Middle East and Asia that were then examined and reverse engineered and modified: the tripod from the US BGM-71 TOW; the tracker-control unit from the French/German MILAN; and the missile from the UK Swingfire.

There are numerous improved models following the original HJ-8, designated HJ-8A to HJ-8H, each incorporating improved features over the previous model. HJ-8E entered service in mid-1990. The HJ-8E anti-tank missile weighs 24.5 kg, has a range of up to 4,000 m, and can also defeat explosive reactive armour (ERA). The latest variant is the HJ-8H.

Designed to be both dependable and accurate, HJ-8 is now the standard anti-tank armament of the WZ-9, Mi-17, and Gazelle (replacing the original Euromissile HOT first carried) helicopter gunships of the PLA.

Turret Launch Platform :-

A launching platform that can be installed on armoured fighting vehicles has been developed by Norinco for use as an HJ-8 launching platform, the SW-1 one-man turret. The all-steel welded SW-1 turret weighs 1,750 kg and can be installed on various tracked or wheeled vehicles. The turret is stated to be immune to 0.50 caliber armour-piercing rounds at close range (100 meters) and protection is further increased when add-on armour is installed. The turret can traverse 360 degrees and be elevated -40 to +60 degrees. The fire-control system, based on that of HJ-8H, is internally mounted.

The primary armament of SW-1 includes four HJ-8H ATGM, with two mounted in the rear location on each side of the turret. The secondary armament comprises a 30 mm main gun and a coaxial 0.30 caliber machine gun. A variety of ammo can be used and the maximum rate of fire of the main gun is around 6 rounds per second, and automatic fire can be selected at various rates. The 30-mm gun is claimed to be effective against ground targets up to 4 km away and aerial targets at 2 km, while the HJ-8H missile is effective against ground targets at ranges of 4 km away, and against low and slow aerial targets at the same range. A follow-on model that is remotely operated weighing 1.4 ton has completed its development and entered Chinese service, designed by the same designer, Wu Lixin. Like its predecessor, this unmanned model was also first tested by using HJ-73C ATGM. The unmanned version carries 160 rounds of 30 mm ammunition.

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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 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.”

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 2 Missile Of Pakistan Army

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 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.

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

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