Pakistan test-fires cruise missile "Ra'ad"(Up Date)

Pakistan on Monday successfully test-fired it's indigenously-developed air-launched Cruise Missile (ALCM) "Ra'ad".

An Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) release said the missile test was witnessed by Lt. Gen. Zubair Mahmood Hayat, the Director-General of the Pakistan Army's Strategic Plans Division.

According to the ISPR release, Lt. Gen. Hayat praised and congratulated scientists involved with the successful launch and test-firing of the missile.

The Ra'ad Missile has a range of 350 kilometers.

Pakistan is on record, as saying that it is keen to achieve strategic standoff capability both on land and at sea.

The state of the art Ra'ad Cruise Missile, which has stealth capabilities, is a low altitude, terrain-hugging missile with high maneuverability.

It can deliver nuclear and conventional warheads with pin point accuracy, the ISPR release said.

Lt. Gen. Hayat said that the test-firing of the missile was a major step towards strengthening Pakistan's full spectrum, credible minimum deterrence capability.

Monday's test-firing of the Ra'ad Cruise Missile follows Saturday's successful maiden canister-based trial of Agni-V missile by India.

The Indian missile has a strike range of over 5000 kilometers and can carry a nuclear warhead of over one tonne.