After India’s Agni-II night trial, Pak conducts training launch of new missile

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Monday conducted a training launch of the surface-to-surface ballistic missile (SSBM) Shaheen-I, which is capable of delivering both conventional and nuclear warheads up to a range of 650km, the army’s media wing said.


The missile launch came two days after India successfully conducted the first night trial of its nuclear-capable intermediate range ballistic missile

Agni-II

.

"Pakistan successfully conducted training launch of SSBM Shaheen-1, capable of delivering all types of warheads up to range of 650kms," army spokesperson Major General Asif

Ghafoor

tweeted.

The launch, Ghafoor said, was aimed at testing the operational readiness of the Army Strategic Forces Command. He posted a 16-second video clip of the missile launch.

Pakistan had carried out a night training launch of Ghaznavi, also an SSBM, in August. The country's missile programme, according to observers, was aimed at balancing India’s conventional superiority. Pakistan has a variety of deployed ballistic missiles, ranging from tactical battlefield weapons to medium-range ballistic systems.

In May, Pakistan had conducted a training launch of the Shaheen-II surface-to-surface ballistic missile, a day after India tested its supersonic

Brahmos cruise missile

. Before Shaheen-II, Pakistan Air Force had test-fired an "indigenously developed" extended-range "smart weapon" from the JF-17 multi-role fighter aircraft in March.

In January, Pakistan had carried out a training launch of a surface-to-surface ballistic missile named "Nasr".

Besides Ghaznavi, Shaheen and Nasr, Pakistan's arsenal includes the Ghauri, Babar, Abdali, Ababeel and Raad series of short and medium-range ballistic and cruise missiles.