Pakistan tests self-developed cruise missile

Pakistan Monday conducted a successful flight test of the indigenously developed air launched cruise missile (ALCM), an Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) statement said.

The Ra'ad missile, with a range of 350 km, enables Pakistan to achieve "strategic standoff capability" on both land and sea, Dawn online reported.

Cruise technology is extremely complex and has been developed by only a few countries in the world, the statement said.

The state-of-the-art Ra'ad cruise missile with stealth capabilities is a low altitude, terrain hugging missile with high manoeuvreability, and can deliver nuclear and conventional warheads with pinpoint accuracy, it added.

The Director General of Strategic Plans Division, Lt.Gen. Zubair Mahmood Hayat termed it a major step towards strengthening Pakistan's full spectrum credible minimum deterrence capability.

Pakistan's strategic pursuits were aimed at achieving strategic stability in the region, he said.

The successful launch has been commended by President Mamnoon Hussain and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who have congratulated the scientists and engineers on their outstanding achievement.