Pakistan to conduct more missile tests

Islamabad, Mar 24: Pakistan will soon conduct more missile tests as part of efforts to further upgrade its missile development programme, a top nuclear scientist said today.

''Pakistan has become the third country in the world to have the most advanced missile system,'' the private Geo TV channel quoted chief of National Engineering and Scientific Commission (NESCOM) Dr Samar Mubarikmand as saying.

Mubarikmand, who heads the project for development and up-gradation of medium and long range Shaheen missiles, said that Pakistan had already achieved minimum credible deterrence in nuclear and missile technology.

He said that Shaheen-II missile was being delivered to the army after its successful tests in the recent past.

Pakistan had last month test-fired the nuclear-capable long range surface-to-surface ballistic missile Hatf VI (Shaheen II), which has a range of 2,000 kilometers.

This is a big achievement of our scientists, said Mubarikmand.

About Thursday's test of the ground launched cruise missile, Babur, he said that the credit of enhancing Babur's range from 500 kilometers to 700 kilometers went to the team of Pakistani scientists, who had worked hard for the country's missile programme.

The nuclear-capable Babur, is a terrain hugging and radar avoiding highly maneuverable missile with pin point accuracy.

Pakistan began test-firing up-graded versions of the nuclear-capable Ghauri, Shaheen, Ghaznavi, Abdali and Babur missiles since November last year.

Ghauri missiles were developed in Kahuta Research Laboratories, headed by nuclear scientist Dr A Q Khan, who made headlines some four years ago for his involvement in illegally proliferating nuclear technology to Iran, Libya and North Korea. Khan has been placed under house-arrest at his Islamabad residence since October 2003.

Pakistan formally kicked off its medium-range missile programme in April 1998, with the first successful test flight of Ghauri I missile followed by similar tests the next years involving the other nuclear capable missile systems.

HATF-3 (Ghaznavi), HATF-5 (Ghauri), HATF-4 (Shaheen-1) have already been handed over to Pakistan Army's Strategic Force Command.

UNI