Pakistan's Army on Tuesday test-launched the Fatah-2 Extended Range (ER) ballistic missile, a hypersonic weapon that the military says can strike deep targets with high precision. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the armed forces, announced the launch in a statement and said it was successful. A ballistic missile is powered during the start of its flight and then travels along an arc toward its target, while hypersonic describes speeds far above the speed of sound. The Fatah-2 ER is an extended-range version of the Fatah-2 missile system, which the statement described as an advanced weapon system.
What the military said
According to the statement, the Fatah-2 ER is equipped with sophisticated navigation technology and modern avionics, meaning the electronics used in aircraft and missiles. The ISPR said these features significantly strengthen the Army's operational reach and its ability to hit targets with precision. The missile's unique trajectory and manoeuvrability, it added, are designed to overcome enemy missile defence systems. Its extended range, the statement said, allows the Army to engage targets at greater distances.
Who witnessed the launch
The test was watched by the Commander of the Army Rocket Force Command (ARFC), senior Army officers, and scientists and engineers associated with the programme. The ARFC commander praised the dedication and technical expertise of the people who developed the system, the statement said. President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, and the services chiefs also congratulated the scientists and engineers on the successful launch.
What is still unclear
The accounts of the launch that were reviewed agree on the core facts: the day, the test, and the ISPR's role in announcing it. The available material does not give the missile's range, the launch location, or any timeline for deployment. It also does not say whether the Fatah-2 ER will be inducted into service or tested again. The performance claims come from the military's own statement and have not been independently verified, so readers should treat them as the Army's account until more detail is released.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Pakistan Army ne Fatah-2 Extended Range ballistic missile ka kamyab test kiya hai, jo ISPR ke mutabiq hypersonic hai aur door ke nishanon ko durustgi se nishana bana sakta hai. Is missile mein jadid navigation aur avionics ka nizam hai, jis se fauj ki operational reach barhti hai. Aam shehriyon ke rozmarra kharche, bijli ke bills ya safar par is ka seedha asar nahi hai. Abhi yeh wazeh nahi ki yeh missile kab fauj mein shamil hogi.
