Pakistan test-fires nuclear missile capable of hitting multiple targets

Islamabad: Pakistan on Tuesday "successfully" test-fired its second indigenously-developed nuclear-capable missile, Ababeel, with a range of 2,200 km and capable of "engaging multiple targets with high precision".

The test firing comes two weeks after the launch of submarine-fired Babar III, that Indian analysts dubbed as fake.

In an apparent reference to India, Pakistan Military spokesperson Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor said: "The development of the Ababeel weapon system was aimed at ensuring survivability of Pakistan's ballistic missiles in the growing regional Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) environment."

The missile is capable of delivering multiple warheads, using Multiple Independent Re-entry Vehicle (MIRV) technology. "The test flight was aimed at validating various design and technical parameters of the weapon system," Maj Gen Ghafoor said in a statement.

"Ababeel is capable of carrying nuclear warheads and has the capability to engage multiple targets with high precision, defeating the enemy's hostile radars," it added.

On January 8, Pakistan conducted its first successful test fire of submarine launched cruise missile Babur III having a range of 450 km. The missile was fired from an underwater, mobile platform and hit its target with precise accuracy. 

The Babur weapons system incorporates advanced aerodynamics and avionics that can strike targets both at land and sea with high accuracy, according to ISPR. It has been described as a low flying, terrain hugging missile, which carries certain stealth features and is capable of carrying various types of warheads.