Home / International / News Tools: Save | Print | E-mail | Most Read | Comment
Pakistan Test Fires Cruise Missile
Adjust font size:

Pakistan Thursday successfully tested a cruise missile capable of carrying a variety of warheads, including nuclear, the military said.

The Babur Hatf VII missile has a range of 700 km. It was last tested in March.

The missile test was a success that would "consolidate Pakistan's strategic capability and strengthen national security," a military statement said.

The test was meant to validate the design parameters set for the missile, the statement said.

President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz greeted scientists on the test firing and "assured complete support in the development plans of all strategic projects," the statement said.

The Babur Hatf VII is a terrain-hugging, radar avoiding cruise missile.

The missile was first tested in 2005. Since, then its range has been enhanced to 700 km, from 500 km previously.

Pakistan routinely tests various nuclear-capable missiles in its arsenal, believed to be designed mainly to match that of neighboring India. The two countries have agreed to inform each other of such tests in advance.

In February, Pakistan test-fired a new version of its long-range nuclear-capable missile, Hatf VI or Shaheen II, which has a range of 2,000 kilometers.

The two South Asian neighbors carried out tit-for-tat nuclear weapons tests in 1998.

India and Pakistan have fought three wars since independence from Britain in 1947, but have been holding peace talks since 2004.

(China Daily via agencies July 27, 2007)

Tools: Save | Print | E-mail | Most Read
Comment
Pet Name
Anonymous
China Archives
Related >>
- Pakistan Test-fires Cruise Missile
- Pakistan Renews Concerns over US-India Nuclear Deal
- India Tests Long-range Nuclear-capable Missile
- US: India's Missile Test 'Not a Surprise'
Most Viewed >>
> Korean Nuclear Talks
> Reconstruction of Iraq
> Middle East Peace Process
> Iran Nuclear Issue
> 6th SCO Summit Meeting
Links
- China Development Gateway
- Foreign Ministry
- Network of East Asian Think-Tanks
- China-EU Association
- China-Africa Business Council
- China Foreign Affairs University
- University of International Relations
- Institute of World Economics & Politics
- Institute of Russian, East European & Central Asian Studies
- Institute of West Asian & African Studies
- Institute of Latin American Studies
- Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies
- Institute of Japanese Studies