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Pakistani Missile Tests A “Psychological Weapon” Against India
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Pakistanis
celebrating the missile tests
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By Asif Farooqi, IOL Pakistan correspondent
ISLAMABAD,
May 30 (IslamOnline) - By testing the most important and reliable
short-range nuclear warhead carrier missile systems, Pakistan believes
it has conveyed to Indian war strategists that it was all set to match
the much bigger Indian military power with smart tactical and nuclear
weapons at the war front, if war is triggered between the two south
Asian archrivals.
Pakistani
scientists carefully selected the short-range missile for test firing,
at this crucial juncture when Pakistan is under severe military and
diplomatic pressure from India. Ranging between 180 to 280 kilometers,
these missiles are specified to be used during a war to target the
military installations and deployments with small nuclear devices,
senior security officials in Islamabad told IslamOnline.
Hataf
II (Abdali), is one of the smartest missiles available in the
Pakistani arsenal. It can carry a payload of 100 kilograms to a
distance of 180 kilometers without being intercepted by anti-missile
armament.
Pakistani
scientists believe the efficiency of this missile is unmatched as it
runs on sold fuel and can be carried on a mobile launcher. “It needs
less than two hours notice to be prepared for launching,” officials
in Islamabad said. Generally, this time is fairly quick for a missile
to be brought out of stocks, mounted with a warhead and launched.
Hataf
III (Ghaznavi), another short ranged missile tested last week, has a
range of 280 kilometers with even bigger warhead. It is an important
tool in the hands of Pakistani military to destroy the enemy
deployments from a safe distance. This missile also has the efficiency
to avoid detection and interception and is energized by solid fuel.
The
third missile tested over the weekend has a different range, effects
and objectives. Hataf-V (Ghauri) was tested to fly up to 1500
kilometers. There was no direct mention from the government whether
this was the maximum range of the missile. But the security officials
put the original range of this missile to 3000 kilometers.
This
range includes almost all of India, most of the Middle East including
Israel, and many parts of Central Asia up to Moscow.
“This
missile is more like a psychological weapon. We have proven to the
Indians that if we are hurt, they would have a worse experience,”
Pakistani officials said.
Sources
said most of these and other missiles were ready for a test flight
early this year but the government did not allow the scientists to go
ahead with it at that time. “The military leadership decided to go
for the testing at this crucial time to meet some of their political
objectives besides evaluating the performance of these missile
systems,” the sources added.
According
to a scientist associated with Pakistan’s missile program, the tests
were originally planned for the medium range missile series named
Shaheen, which is being developed by the National Engineering Science
Commission (Nascom). However, later when the situation with India got
worse, the short-range missiles systems were tested.
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Abdali
missile taking off
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Therefore,
SUPARCO, another body related with the development of missile systems,
was directed to bring Hataf II and III out for testing where KRL which
is responsible for the development of Hataf-V was told to prepare for
its test flight.
Pakistani
security officials believe that Pakistan still lags behind the Indian
army as far as the number of missiles was concerned. “But our
missile system is now technically more sound, reliable and superior
than the Indians,” an official said.
India
has 1,303,000 soldiers in its armed forces, plus 535,000 reservists.
Pakistan only has about 612,000 troops and 513,000 reservists. India
is believed to have about 60 nuclear warheads compared with
Pakistan’s 25. India also enjoys a one to three superiority over the
Pakistani air force, and the naval situation is even worse for
Pakistan.
“In
such a situation, it is only the non-conventional weapons upon which
our fighting forces rely the most when it comes to fighting a war with
India,” officials in Islamabad said.
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