LAHORE, Pakistan, Feb. 17 (UPI) — Pakistan successfully test-fired its nuclear-capable Hatf-7, or Babur, cruise missile as “part of a process of validating the system,” a government statement said.
The test was witnessed by Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Chairman Gen. Khalid Shamim Wynne, who said the launch would “go a long way in consolidating Pakistan’s strategic deterrence capability and further strengthening national security.” The country’s “resolve and commitment to continue its strategic program will remain paramount.”
The test at an undisclosed location was “warmly appreciated by the president and prime minister,” who congratulated the scientists and engineers on their success, the statement said.
“Babur can carry strategic and conventional warheads” military spokesman Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas, said. Also, it has a 10-foot circular error point accuracy, tight enough for use in surgical strikes.
The missile — named after the 16th-century Muslim ruler Zahir ud-din Muhammad Babur, founder of the Mughal Empire — reportedly flew approximately 370 miles.
Its range is reported to be 470 miles, which, analysts have said, would allow for the missile to be launched deep inside Pakistani territory and reach major cities in neighboring India.
The range is politically significant because the missile was developed with an eye to defending Pakistan against India’s indigenously developed BrahMos cruise missiles.
The 22-foot-long, tubular-fuselage Babur is believed to have up-to-date terrain contour matching as well as digital scene matching and area co-relation to maintain target direction and elevation. Both systems were developed with Chinese military assistance.
The missile resembles the BGM-109 Tomahawk, possibly because Pakistan research laboratories deconstructed as much as possible six 109s that crashed in Pakistani territory in 1998 during U.S. airstrikes against Afghanistan.
In particular, the engines of a 2005 test-launched Babur were similar to the Tomahawk. After a launch by a solid-fuel booster, a cruise turbo fan engine cuts in, giving the Babur a speed of about 550 mph.
Pakistan Successfully Tests Hatf-VII Babur Cruise Missile
Pakistan has successfully tested the Hatf-VII Babur Land Attack Cruise Missile (LACM) today. Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) has announced that Hatf-VII Babur was test fired against the target at a range of 600 kilometers.
Hatf-VII Babur Land Attack Cruise Missile (LACM) was test fired from a new round canister instead of the typical box like canister used for the Babur LACM in the past.This could be a stepping stone towards fielding the long range cruise missile on the ships and submarines of the Pakistan Navy.
Hatf-VII Babur Land Attack Cruise Missile (LACM) uses the highly advance
