25 May 2002
Pakistan announces that it will test a new series of short- and intermediate-range ballistic missiles at the Tilla Range; the missiles that will be tested are nuclear capable. During the test, each missile will carry a payload equivalent to the weight of a nuclear warhead. The missiles will be fired toward sea-based targets, and space-based satellites will be used to compile the results of the data generated during the tests. According to Pakistani sources, Pakistan has acquired the capability to produce "multi-independent re-entry vehicles (MIRV) that can deliver three to seven bombs over an area of 80,000 square kilometers. A Pakistani government spokesperson announces that several countries including India, Iran, and the United States have been given prior notification of the tests. [Note: The claim about MIRVs cannot be verified independently.]
—"Pakistan Reportedly Develops Capability for Multi-Warhead Missiles," BBC Monitoring International Reports, 25 May 2002; in Lexis-Nexis Academic Universe, 25 May 2002, web.lexis-nexis.com; Rahul Bedi, "Pakistan Tells India It Will Test Its Missiles Today," Irish Times (Dublin), 25 May 2002, City Edition, World News, p. 13; in Lexis-Nexis Academic Universe, 25 May 2002, web.lexis-nexis.com.