The Pakistani Air Force has test-fired the indigenously built Air Launched Cruise Missile (ALCM) Ra’ad at an undisclosed location.
The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said the missile system enabled Pakistan to achieve a greater strategic stand-off capability on land and at sea.
The latest test-launch of the nuclear-capable missile, also known as Hatf-VIII, is the seventh in the series of the test launches conducted since the first in 2007.
A test launch was undertaken in February last year, immediately after India test-fired its Agni V intermediate range ballistic missile.
Ra’ad is a low-altitude air-launched cruise missile, with a range of 350km, which can carry a nuclear or conventional warhead.
The 5m long weighs up to 1,000kg. Its low level flight manoeuvres enable the missile to avoid detection by air defence systems.
Pakistan’s Strategic Plans Division director general lieutenant general Mazhar Jamil said: "This milestone will surely enhance strategic stability and contribute to peace in the region."
In December, the Pakistan Army tested the Shaheen-III surface-to-surface ballistic missile from an undisclosed location.
Image: The recent testing of Ra’ad cruise missile marks the sixth of the series. Photo: courtesy of Irib.
