Pakistan Army Successfully Test-Fires Fatah-2 Extended-Range Hypersonic Ballistic Missile Capable of Defeating Enemy Missile Defence

RAWALPINDI: The Pakistan Army on Tuesday successfully test-launched the extended-range version of its Fatah-2 hypersonic ballistic missile. According to the military’s media wing, ISPR, the weapon system carries advanced navigation equipment and modern avionics.

Built to defeat missile defences

ISPR said the Fatah-2 ER can engage targets with high precision, and that its distinctive flight path and ability to manoeuvre in flight are designed to let it overcome enemy missile defence systems. The statement added that the missile’s longer reach will extend the Army’s range and strengthen its ability to engage targets deep inside adversary territory.

Leadership watches the launch

The test was witnessed by the Commander of the Army Rocket Force Command, Lt Gen Nauman Zakaria, alongside senior army officers and the scientists and engineers working on the programme. The commander praised the team’s dedication and technical skill. After the launch, President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir and the services chiefs congratulated the scientists and engineers, while Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also hailed the test as an important step for the defence sector.

Second missile milestone in a week

The Fatah-2 ER launch comes only days after the Army also carried out a successful test of an extended version of the indigenously developed Fatah-4 ground-launched cruise missile, which the military said is likewise fitted with advanced avionics and navigational aids for precise, long-range strikes.