ISLAMABAD – The Pakistan Navy successfully test fired a combination of surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) on Saturday, said a statement.

Carried out in coastal area of Makran, the tests aimed to assess the air-defence capabilities of the navy during its annual maritime exercise, Seaspark-12. The missiles precisely hit their targets, the statement said.

Naval Chief Admiral Asif Sandila, who witnessed the tests, said these had fortified the defence of the country’s coastal line. “These weapons give the Pakistan Navy the flexibility to operate the various missiles and strengthen the country’s ground-based air defence.”

Reiterating that the navy was not oblivious to the security of its maritime borders, Sandila added it would take all possible steps for the sake of the country defence.

“It should be the prime objective of all of us to ensure that resources and assets which the nation provided us at the cost of many other important needs were put to the best use for achieving the maximum operational effectiveness,” the navy chief asserted.  The firing drills are part of the navy’s initiative to evaluate and improve its firepower capabilities.

The area of responsibility of the navy’s Air Defence Battalion stretches from Sir Creek in the east to Jiwani in the west and these modern weapons and equipment will augment the PN’s ground-based air defence capabilities against aircraft and missiles, the statement added.