Pakistan successfully tests first indigenous air-to-air missile Fa’az

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has successfully carried out a flight test of its first indigenously developed air-to-air missile, Fa’az. The Army’s media wing, ISPR, confirmed the test on Tuesday.

According to an ISPR statement, the missile is fitted with an advanced terminal guidance system and can hit enemy aerial targets at long range. The statement said Fa’az would significantly increase the operational flexibility of the Pakistan Air Force and further strengthen the country’s overall defence capability.

The statement said the successful test reflected the technical maturity, innovation and self-reliance of Pakistan’s defence industry.

Senior officers of the armed forces, and scientists and engineers involved in developing the missile, were present at the test.

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 congratulated the scientists and engineers. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also congratulated the nation and called the test an important development in the defence sector.

According to The Express Tribune, earlier this month the Pakistan Army had successfully tested an extended-range version of the Fatah-2 hypersonic ballistic missile. A week before that, an extended version of the Fatah-4 ground-launched cruise missile was tested.