Pakistan test-fires N-capable Shaheen-III missile
11 Dec 2015
Pakistan today announced the successful test-firing of its medium-range Shaheen-III surface-to-surface ballistic missile, which is capable of carrying nuclear warheads up to 2,750 km away, military sources said.
The testing of the missile, which comes a day after Pakistan and India decided to move ahead with the comprehensive dialogue process, was aimed at validating various design and technical parameters of the weapon system, according to a statement from the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).
The missile is capable of delivering nuclear and conventional warheads in a range of 2,750 km, it added.
The test, witnessed by senior officers from Strategic Plans Division, Strategic Forces, Scientists and Engineers of Strategic Organisations, validated all desired parameters, the statement said.
The missile hit the target at the impact point in the Arabian Sea, the release stated.
Director General Strategic Plans Division, Lieutenant General Mazhar Jamil called it a ''significant milestone'' in complementing the deterrence capability.
Pakistan President Mamnoon Hussain and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif congratulated the military scientists and engineers on the successful missile test.
Pakistan had test-fired the Shaheen-I and Shaheen-II missiles last year.
Shaheen-I, which is capable of carrying nuclear as well as conventional warheads, has a range of 900 km while the Shaheen-II missile can also carry nuclear and conventional warheads up to a range of 1,500 km.
Pakistan has developed a range of nuclear-capable missiles, most of them with help from China that are India-centric. Pakistan, incidentally, has also one of the fastest growing nuclear arsenals.
