On Friday Pakistan conducted the third test flight of nuclear capable Ra’ad (Hatf-8) cruise missile. An Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) statement announcing the successful test of the indigenously developed missile said. An Arabic word meaning thunder Ra’ad, has a range of 350km and has been developed for launch form a variety of aerial platforms. During the second test in May 2008, it was test-fired formal Mirage fighter of Pakistan Air Force.

Similarly, the third test was also conducted from a Mirage fighter and defense analysts say the test was highly successful in achieving the objectives. In August 2007 the first flight was conducted. The military statement said that the state-of-the-art 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 great accuracy, while noting its attributes.

In addition to the shape of the airframe and the material used in its construction, its ability to fly at low altitudes reduces its chances of being detected by enemy radars. Besides this, the Ra’ad gives Pakistan ‘greater strategic standoff capability’ on land and at sea which implies that it can be used against targets both at sea and on land and at sea, while keeping the launching platform undetected by enemy air defense systems.

The missile is designed to launch aerial strikes against fixed enemy installations including enemy command centers, radars, surface-to-air missile launchers and stationary warships. The cruise missile technology is really complex and has been developed by only few countries including Russia, USA, China, India, and France.

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