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Pak Navy test-fires missile from warship

Here's a Defense Journal report on Pakistan Navy's land attack missile test:

ISLAMABAD — The Pakistan Navy has test-fired a new land attack missile in the North Arabian Sea off the coast of Pakistan this week.

According to a Navy news release, the test included “firings of a variety of modern missiles including the maiden Land Attack Missile (LAM)” and the tests “demonstrated lethality, precision and efficacy” of the Navy’s weapon systems as well as the “high state of readiness and professionalism” of the Navy.

The release also stated the test “reaffirms credibility of deterrence at sea.”

A Navy spokesman confirmed “multiple platforms were engaged” in firing missiles. The firings took place on Dec. 19 and 21.

Though the Navy has a variety of anti-ship and surface-to-air missiles, the Navy would not confirm the identity of the land-attack missile when asked.

Mansoor Ahmed from Quaid-e-Azam University’s Department of Defence and Strategic Studies, who specializes in Pakistan’s national deterrent and delivery program, believes the missile is one of two varieties: either a land attack variant of the Chinese C-802/CSS-N-8 Saccade anti-ship missile in service with a variety of naval platforms; or a variant of the HATF-VII/Vengeance-VII Babur cruise missile.

“Coupled with a miniaturized plutonium warhead, a naval version of the several hundred kilometer-range Babur [land attack cruise missile] or a 120-kilometer range C-802 missile can potentially provide Pakistan with a reliable if not an assured second strike capability and will complete the third leg of Pakistan’s eventual triad-based credible minimum deterrent — of which the naval leg was missing until now,” he said.

A land-attack variant of the C-802 would be able to be fired from existing launchers aboard Pakistani ships.

Ahmed however pointed out that M. Irfan Burney — chairman of the National Engineering and Scientific Commission (NESCOM), the research and development body that designed and manufactured the Babur cruise missile — witnessed the test firings. Ahmed believes that supports the notion that the missile was the Babur.

Burney was joined by Chief of Naval Staff Adm. Muhammad Asif Sandila, onboard the F-22P class frigate Zulfiquar.

The test comes seven months after Pakistan inaugurated the Naval Strategic Force Command. The Babur, once integrated with an operational naval command and control, “will help diversify the options available to counter India’s growing second strike capabilities at sea,” Ahmed said.

He said the Navy will be able to “strike critical counter-value and other strategic targets all along India’s coastline and maintain a semblance of strategic stability in the Arabian Sea.”

“Pakistan’s response in this field was necessary in the face of an exponential increase in Indian strategic capabilities, such as ballistic-missile defenses and the induction of SSBNs [ballistic-missile submarines] and planned $40 billion worth of naval weapons platform acquisitions over the next decade,” he added.

Ahmed said a “nuclear-tipped [land-attack cruise missile] is a readily available and affordable alternative for Pakistan instead of a dedicated SSBN.”

With an economy in chronically poor shape, the question of affordability and meeting the Navy’s expansion requirements in the face of a shortage of funds is a pressing concern.

However, after witnessing the test firings and voicing his appreciation of the operational preparedness of the fleet, Sandila also said the government was “cognizant of PN’s developmental needs and all out efforts are being made to address critical capability gaps.”

Pakistan Navy Test-fires Land-Attack Missile | Defense News | defensenews.com
 
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it was a as the navy calls it Charlie-802-Alpha fired from nearly 200km out at sea towards a land target. the chinese had drawn a proximity circle of 69m and the missile hit bang in the middle of the circle - now thats accurate - (quoting naval source). additionally a seaking helo which had taken VIPs to witness the test, almost averted a major accident as the nose landing gear collapsed as the helo lifted off. the helo hovered 2-3 ft above the ground for 3-4 hours to burn the fuel before the pilot landed the helo softly on a 'pit'.
 
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it was a as the navy calls it Charlie-802-Alpha fired from nearly 200km out at sea towards a land target. the chinese had drawn a proximity circle of 69m and the missile hit bang in the middle of the circle - now thats accurate - (quoting naval source). additionally a seaking helo which had taken VIPs to witness the test, almost averted a major accident as the nose landing gear collapsed as the helo lifted off. the helo hovered 2-3 ft above the ground for 3-4 hours to burn the fuel before the pilot landed the helo softly on a 'pit'.

Furthermore, the presence of NESCOM body was because of the monitoring equipment it provided to assist with the technical data retrieval from the test launch.
 
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Furthermore, the presence of NESCOM body was because of the monitoring equipment it provided to assist with the technical data retrieval from the test launch.

If NESCOM guy was only there to watch his telemetry equipment and the missile was C-802. This will not be Pakistan's sea based deterrant as Pakistan does not use any imported missile for carrying nuclear warhead.
In that case this part of the news report remains unexplained.
 
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Pakistan Navy conducts maiden test of land attack missile system
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Navy on Friday conducted the maiden test of a land attack missile system as part of efforts to test the credibility of its "deterrence at sea", a spokespersons said.

The first test of the land attack missile system, which was not identified, was part of the firing of a variety of modern missiles, the spokesperson said in a statement.

"While reassuring Pakistan Navy's commitment and capability to defend the motherland, this firing reaffirms credibility of (the) deterrence at sea," the statement said. All the missiles "successfully engaged the targets with pinpoint accuracy", the statement said.

"Operationalisation of land attack capability ushers in a new era and a quantum increase in the combat potential of the Pakistan Navy," it added.

The missiles were tested in the North Arabian Sea on December 19 and 21 by ships that were recently inducted in the naval fleet. The naval chief, Admiral Mohammad Asif Sandila, was present on board PNS Zulfiquar to witness the tests.

"This mega weapon firing event demonstrated lethality, precision and efficacy of modern weapon systems on board the Pakistan Navy fleet's surface platforms," the statement said.

Admiral Sandila appreciated the operational preparedness of the Pakistan Navy's fleet and "emphasized the need to remain ever ready to respond to any challenge to our national security".

The government is cognizant of the navy's "developmental needs and all out efforts are being made to address critical capability gaps," he said.

Pakistan Navy conducts maiden test of land attack missile system - The Economic Times
 
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This part of news report remains unexplained......
The release also stated the test “reaffirms credibility of deterrence at sea.” A Navy spokesman confirmed “multiple platforms were engaged” in firing missiles.
The firings took place on Dec. 19 and 21.
 
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If NESCOM guy was only there to watch his telemetry equipment and the missile was C-802. This will not be Pakistan's sea based deterrant as Pakistan does not use any imported missile for carrying nuclear warhead.
In that case this part of the news report remains unexplained.

I don't think the term "sea-based deterrent" referred to nuclear deterrence. It is just the conventional land-attack capability that PN seems to have acquired now.
Pakistan does not needs such short ranged nuclear attack capability, specially not on surface vessels.

This part of news report remains unexplained......
Don't take news reports too seriously. :P
 
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This part of news report remains unexplained......

and source is usman ansari..a very well defence analyst with alot of insights into defence equipments/products

seems like many tests were carried out
 
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Well , I think people declaring it as C802 tests must clarify how is it being mentioned " new " or " maiden " test when those missile have been in service for a decade now and tested frequently ...
 
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Once again an enigmatic approach by the armed forces....Keep you people guessing .....there is 70% chnace it is some old/existing missile being tested ...coz thats what they are doing for quite sometime now
 
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If PN wants to keep silent about it, why are we jumping up and down here? The official version is very clear about carrying out a maiden test of new land attack missile system.........as part of efforts to test the credibility of its "deterrence at sea".
 
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