Pakistan Test-Fires Its 1st Cruise Missile

Pakistan today test-fired its first cruise missile, a weapon that can carry nuclear and conventional warheads, officials said.

The missile, called the Babur, has a range of 310 miles. The launch site was not disclosed.

The Foreign Ministry said Pakistan did not inform India before the test, because a notification agreement formalized between the two countries over the weekend did not cover cruise missiles.

The military statement said the Babur missile flies parallel to the ground, can hit its target with “pinpoint accuracy” and can be fired from warships, submarines and fighter jets.

“The technology enables the missile to avoid radar detection and penetrate undetected through any hostile defensive system,” it said.

Pakistan and India, which both tested nuclear devices in 1998, often carry out tit-for-tat tests of missiles capable of reaching deep inside each other’s territory.

In March, Pakistan successfully test-fired its longest-range nuclear-capable missile, the Shaheen II. The weapon has a range of 1,250 miles, putting all major Indian cities within reach. India has said it would test its longest-range missile, the 1,865-mile Agni III, by year’s end.