Pakistan test fires Hatf VIII Ra'ad

Ra’ad cruise missile has stealth capabilities, is a low altitude, terrain-hugging missile with high maneuverability.

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan conducted a successful test flight of the indigenously developed air-launched cruise missile, Hatf-VIII (Ra’ad) on Thursday.

A statement issued by Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) said the Ra’ad Missile, with a range of over 350km, enables Pakistan to achieve strategic standoff capability on land and at sea.

‘Cruise technology’ is extremely complex and has been developed by only a few countries in the world.

The Ra’ad cruise missile with stealth capabilities is a low altitude, terrain-hugging missile with high maneuverability, and can deliver nuclear and conventional warheads with pin point accuracy.

A major additional feature of today’s test was the effective employment of the National Command Authority’s fully automated Strategic Command and Control Support System (SCCSS).

It has enabled robust Command and Control capability of all strategic assets with round the clock situation awareness in a digitised network centric environment to decision makers at National Command Centre (NCC).

The system has the added capability of real time remote monitoring of missile flight path.

The successful launch was commended by President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani and Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee who congratulated the scientists and engineers on their outstanding achievement.