RAWALPINDI (DNA) – Director General (DG) Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Asif Ghafoor has on Thursday informed that Pakistan has successfully carried out night training launch of surface to surface ballistic missile, Ghaznavi.

Major General Asif Ghafoor said the missile is capable of delivering multiple types of warheads up to 290 kilometers. The DG ISPR congratulated the nation over the success.

Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) General Zubair Mahmood Hayat and Services Chiefs congratulated the team, and the performance was appreciated by President Dr Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Imran Khan.

“Pakistan successfully carried out night training launch of surface to surface ballistic missile Ghaznavi, capable of delivering multiple types of warheads upto 290 KMs. CJCSC & Services Chiefs congrat team. President & PM conveyed appreciation to team & congrats to the nation,” the DG ISPR tweeted.

Ghaznavi Missile [Code: Hatf–III Ghaznavi]

Pakistan Army’s strategic command possess the Ghaznavi [first version] – a hypersonic surface to surface short range ballistic missile – since 2004 with an optimal range of 290 kilometers. The missile was designed and developed by the National Development Complex.

Word ‘Hatf’ – meaning deadly or vengeance – entered Pakistan Army in 2012 after the Army Strategic Command Force (ASFC) conducted another successful launch on May 10, 2012.

The Hatf III – ‘Scud’ type ballistic missile – was the second nuclear-capable missile test-fired by the Pakistan army in less than two weeks, since India’s launch of Agni-V. 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.

Shaheen-II

Earlier in May, Pakistan had conducted successful training launch of surface to surface ballistic missile Shaheen-II which is capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear warheads up to a range of 1500 kilometers.

Shaheen-II is a highly capable missile which fully meets Pakistan’s strategic needs towards maintenance of desired deterrence stability in the region. The launch had come a day after India conducted a test of the supersonic Brahmos cruise missile.