Pakistan tests nuclear capable, short-range missile

Pakistan Tuesday successfully test-fired a newly developed short-range, surface-to-surface nuclear capable missile, the army said.

Nasr, a ballistic missile of Hatf series, capable of carrying a nuclear warhead can hit targets up to 60 km, reported Geo News. “This quick response system addresses the need to deter evolving threats,” Xinhua quoted the Pakistani army as saying.

Pakistan in February successfully tested a nuclear-capable cruise missile, Hatf-VII, with a range of up to 600 km. It has been developing an arsenal of missiles and in December tested the medium-range, nuclear-capable ballistic missile Hatf V, which has a range of 1,300 km.

Pakistan and India, which have fought three wars since their partition in 1947, regularly test-fire missiles to display each other’s capability.

India’s missile family comprises of the strategic Agni ballistic missile, the tactical Prithvi ballistic missile, the Akash and Trishul surface-to-air missiles, and the Nag anti-tank guided missile and their variants. Besides, it also has the BrahMos cruise missile jointly developed with Russia.

Pakistan’s missile repertory includes Hatf ballistic missiles and its variants, Ghaznavi short-range ballistic missile, Ghauri and Shaheen medium and intermediate range ballistic missiles, Babur cruise missiles and Baktar-Shikan anti-tank guided missile, most of which have been developed with China’s help.