Dr Mehmood-ul-Hassan Khan
INDIAN constant “warmongering” and “war-gamming” has been posing serious regional as well as extra-regional security threats to all the regional countries. Indian “War Theater” has been destabilizing peace, stability and development in the region.
Its perpetual “hegemonic” deigns have been secretly indulged in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Maldives and Bhutan and created colossal destruction, collateral damage and socio-economic malaises in the past.
Pakistan, being a peace-loving country, has been pursuing a “Minimum Deterrence Policy (MDP)” to safeguard its national sovereignty and territorial integrity.
In this regard, the government of Pakistan and military establishment jointly working hard to lessen “looming” Indian threats through “indigenously” manufactured war nuclear arsenals, variety of short, medium and long range missiles, modern drones, tanks and other electronic warfare equipment.
For the further strengthening of National Defense System (NDS) most recently, Pakistan conducted a series of missile tests mainly Babur Cruise, surface-to-surface ballistic missile Ghaznavi and last but not the least, Shaheen-III ballistic missiles which seemed that combination of all three would provide equal fight to Indian SU-400 system in the future.
Some days ago, Pakistan conducted a successful training launch of Babur Cruise Missile with a range of four hundred and fifty kilometers which was reported by Indian mass media as Pakistan successfully test-fired a short range surface-to-surface ballistic missile capable of hitting land and sea targets with “high precision” up to 490 km away.
In a statement the ISPR said that Babur cruise missile was “launched from a state-of-the-art Multi-Tube Missile Launch Vehicle”.
According to the statement, Pakistan’s President Arif Alvi, Prime Minister Imran Khan and the military leadership congratulated engineers over the launch of the missile.
NESCOM chairman Raza Samar, who witnessed the training launch, appreciated the standard of training and operational preparedness of Army Strategic Forces (ASF).
According to him it reflected proficient handling of the weapon system in field and fulfillment of all laid down training parameters.
Interestingly, Pakistan conducted a successful training launch of surface-to-surface ballistic missile Ghaznavi, which is capable of delivering nuclear and conventional warheads up to a range of 290 kilometres.
The surface-to-surface ballistic missile Ghaznavi, is capable of delivering nuclear and conventional warheads too.
According to Inter-Service Public Relations (ISPR) statement the training launch was the highest point of the Annual Field Training Exercise of Army Strategic Forces Command.
Last month, Pakistan also conducted a successful flight test of Shaheen-III surface-to-surface ballistic missile, having a range of 2,750 kilometres.
According to ISPR, the flight test was aimed at the “revalidating” various design and tech parameters of weapon system. It is capable of strategic warheads. In the past, Pakistan had been facing harsh attitudes from the West especially from the US about its missile development. Work on Shaheen-III was started to make the country’s strategic skills undefeated.
It is completely different from other ballistic missiles of Pakistan and has the full potential to defeat the Indian missile breaking system. It is estimated that after firing, the said missile reaches space at a high of 692 km from where it returns to its target at seventeen times higher than the speed of sound.
Shaheen-III can have such large nuclear warheads so it can make a city like Delhi or Bombay a pile of dust, usually the missile’s atomic ward to destroy an area of up to 60 sq. kilometers.
The successful flight test, with its impact point in the Arabian Sea, was witnessed by Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) General Nadeem Raza, Director General Strategic Plans Division and Commander Army Strategic Forces Command, Chairman NESCOM and the scientists and engineers.
Pakistan’s President Dr Arif Alvi, Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan, CJCSC and three Services Chiefs have congratulated the scientists and engineers on the successful missile test.
The Shaheen-III missile which entered development in the early 2000s was “originally envisaged as a Space Launch Vehicle (SLV) but was later evolved into a weapon system”. The missile completed its initial tests in 2015 and was tested again on 20 January 2021, with various modifications based on groundbreaking technology.
It is believed to be compatible with the Ababeel Multiple Independently Targetable Reentry Vehicle (MITREV) which allows a missile to deliver multiple nuclear warheads to different targets and is capable of evading most ballistic missile interceptors. Shaheen-III also opens up the possibility of Pakistan’s space exploration program in the future.
Most recently, Pakistan, Azerbaijan and Turkey have signed an MoU for space cooperation which will further enhance Pakistan’s defence system in the days to come.
Pakistan test fired the Shaheen-I and Shaheen-II missiles last year. Shaheen-I is also capable of carrying nuclear as well as conventional warheads and has a range of 900km while the Shaheen-II missile can also carry nuclear and conventional warheads up to a range of 1,500km.
Pakistan has diversified but integrated missile command and authority system. It has vast spectrum of both ballistic and cruise missiles for nuclear weapon delivery. Its nuclear-capable ballistic missiles include the Hatf-1 (range 100 km); the Hatf-2 (the Abdali, range 200 km); the Ghaznavi (Hatf-3, range 290 km); the Shaheen-I (Hatf-4, range 750 km); the Ghauri (Hatf-5, range 1,500 km); the Shaheen-II (Hatf-6, range 2,000 km); the Shaheen-III (an upgraded Hatf-4, range 2,750 km); and the Nasr (Hatf-9, range 60 km), a short-range missile with the stated capability to “add deterrence value at shorter ranges.
Furthermore, the ballistic missiles and cruise missiles are increasingly part of Pakistan’s nuclear delivery plans, including the ground launched Babur (Hatf-7, range 700 km) and the air-launched Ra’ad (Hatf-8, range 350 km). In 2017 and 2018, Pakistan successfully tested the Babur-III range 450 km).
The Ra’ad-II was first publicly unveiled in 2017 the last test of the missile was in February 2020. Pakistan has been working on sea-based second-strike capabilities.
In January 2017, Pakistan tested a submarine launched cruise missile intended to serve in this capacity.
Being a prominent regional defence expert I believe that the “Shaheen-III missile”, once inducted will provide Pakistan with the full spectrum deterrence against the adversary” and will further enhance strategic stability in the South Asian region.
To conclude rapidly changing geopolitical and geostrategic scenarios, partnerships, dialogues and socio-economic equations demands a comprehensive defence policy and strategic command authority to be based on structural realism, rigorous digitalization, artificial intelligence and superior human intelligence to successfully deter Indian aggression.
Next step should be space exploration with a specific purpose of national defence. Azerbaijan-Armenia war has changed the dynamics of war due to which development of unmanned drones, submarines and electronic warfare should be way forward.
—The writer is Director, Geopolitics/Economics Member Board of Experts, CGSS.
