Pakistan conducts test launch of Fatah-ll guided rocket system
Fatah II’s development programme began in 2021 as a way for Pakistan to use conventional warheads in its military operations. (Photo: US DoD)
The Pakistan Armed Forces has successfully carried out a test firing of the Fatah-II, an indigenously made Guided Multi-barrel Launched Rocket System (GMLRS).
The army’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) wing claimed that the new weapon could precisely strike targets at a distance of 250km to 400km. The service added that the weapon had been fitted with modern ‘avionics, sophisticated navigation system and unique flight trajectory’.
The claimed range would be a big jump compared to Fatah-I which can only reach a distance of 140km.
Fatah II’s weapons development programme began in 2021 as a way for Pakistan to use conventional warheads in its military operations. The GMLRS weapon system could allow the Pakistan Army to carry out precision target-deep strikes.
Pakistan’s efforts to develop a high-precision rocket system come amid increasing tensions with neighbouring India in the Kashmir region. Recent arms developed in the country include the Ghaznavi, a surface-to-surface missile test-launched to ensure Army Strategic Forces Command’s operational readiness.
The ballistic missile, with an operational range of up to 300km, was tested just a day after India began its trials of a cruise missile off the coast of Odisha’s Balasore district.
ISPR noted that these successes were part of Pakistan’s broader strategy to strengthen regional deterrence and enhance strategic stability.
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