Pakistan successfully tests its first indigenously developed air-to-air missile Fa’az: ISPR

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Pakistan says it successfully flight-tested Fa’az, its first domestically developed air-to-air missile, designed to engage targets at longer ranges with advanced terminal guidance. Officials described the test as a milestone for national aerospace and defense capabilities, following recent tests of two domestically developed surface-to-surface missiles.

Pakistan on Tuesday performed a successful flight test of the country’s first indigenously developed air-to-air missile, Fa’az, “marking another significant milestone in the advancement of national aerospace and defence capabilities”, the military’s media wing said. According to a statement by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the missile is equipped with a state-of-the-art terminal guidance system and can engage enemy targets at longer ranges. “Fa’az will significantly enhance [the] operational flexibility of [the] Pakistan Air Force, further strengthening the country’s overall defence posture. The successful flight test underscores the technical maturity, innovation and self-reliance achieved by Pakistan’s defence industry,” the statement added. The launch was witnessed by senior military officers, scientists and engineers involved in the development of the system, the ISPR said. It added that President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir and the service chiefs congratulated the scientists. Pakistan successfully tested two surface-to-surface missiles last month; the Fatah-2 extended range (ER) hypersonic ballistic missile was tested on Oct 13, and the indigenously developed extended version of the Fatah-IV ground-launched cruise missile was tested a week before that. ISPR said that the Fatah-2 ER is equipped with advanced navigation and state-of-the-art avionics. “It is capable of engaging targets with high precision and defeating [the] enemy’s missile defence systems due to its unique trajectory and manoeuvrability features,” it added. For Fatah-IV ER, ISPR said: “Equipped with advanced avionics and state-of-the-art navigational aids, the weapon system is capable of engaging targets at extended ranges with high precision and lethality.” It noted that the test “also validated additional technical parameters of various sub-systems incorporated for improved accuracy and enhanced survivability”. More to follow