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Swatjester (talk | contribs) →Short–medium range development: There is no such thing as a CEP of 0.1%. CEP is a distance, definitionally the diameter in which *50%* of ordnance can be expected to impact. |
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{{Short description|
{{Use Pakistani English|date=June 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2021}}
{{Infobox project
| name = Hatf Program<!--- Known as Hatf Program on official description--->
| image =IRBM of Pakistan at IDEAS 2008.jpg
| caption ={{small|The missile systems developed as part of the Hatf program mounted on [[transporter erector launcher|TEL]] with Pakistani military markings in display at the [[International Defence Exhibition and Seminar|IDEAS]] in [[Karachi]], 2008.}}
| mission_statement =
| commercial = No
| type =
| country = Pakistan
|
| key_people =
▲| established = {{Start date|1980|}}
| funding = Classified
| budget = Classified
}}
The '''Hatf Program''' ({{langx|ur|حتف|translit=ḥāṯaʿf|lit=Target}})<ref name="Defence Journal, 1998">{{cite web |last1=Lodhi |first1=Lt.Gen. S.F.S. |date=31 May 1998 |title=Pakistan's Missile Technology |url=http://defencejournal.com/may98/pakmissiletech.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19990221044419/http://defencejournal.com/may98/pakmissiletech.htm |archive-date=21 February 1999 |access-date=21 November 2014 |publisher=Defence Journal, 1998}}</ref> was a classified program by the [[Ministry of Defence Pakistan|Ministry of Defence]] (MoD) of Pakistan for the comprehensive research and development of [[Missile|guided missiles]].<ref name="Pakistan Observer, 2012">{{cite news |last1=Daheem |first1=Mohammad |date=18 October 2012 |title=Pakistan's missile capability |url=http://pakobserver.net/detailnews.asp?id=178539 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129044501/http://pakobserver.net/detailnews.asp?id=178539 |archive-date=29 November 2014 |access-date=21 November 2014 |publisher=Pakistan Observer, 2012 |agency=Pakistan Observer}}</ref><ref name="Lancer">{{cite book |last1=Karim |first1=Afsir |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ltOgS1FjiR4C&q=pakistan+missile+program+1987&pg=PA43 |title=Indo-Pak relations : viewpoints, 1989-1996. |date=1996 |publisher=Lancer |isbn=189782923X |___location=New Delhi |access-date=21 November 2014}}</ref> Initiatives began in 1986-87 and received support from Prime Minister [[Benazir Bhutto]] in direct response to India's [[Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme|equivalent program]] in 1989.<ref name="Pakistan Missile Milestones">{{cite web |date=1 September 2014 |title=Pakistan Missile Milestones - 1994 |url=https://www.wisconsinproject.org/pakistan-missile-milestones-1961-2014/ |access-date=20 August 2023 |website=Wisconsin Project on Nuclear Arms Control}}</ref><ref>Hans M. Kristensen, Robert S. Norris & Julia Diamond (2018) Pakistani nuclear forces, 2018, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, 74:5, 348-358</ref>
The ''Hatf program'' was
==Program overview==
The program's feasibility proved more challenging than the nuclear weapons program due to inadequate funding and a lack of focus on [[control system]]s and [[aerodynamics]] education.<ref name="Stanford University Press, Khan, 2012" /> India, with existing knowledge based on Russian rockets, was already ahead in missile technology, developing its own independently.<ref name="Stanford University Press, Khan, 2012" /> Furthermore, the [[Missile Technology Control Regime]] (MTCR), formed in 1987, hindered Pakistan's efforts to acquire program components.<ref name="Stanford University Press, Khan, 2012" /><ref name="APH Publ. Corp.">{{cite book |last1=Chitkara |first1=M.G. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LCaAQCnO3QQC&q=benazir+missile&pg=PA122 |title=Benazir – a profile |date=1996 |publisher=APH Publ. Corp. |isbn=8170247527 |___location=New Delhi |access-date=22 November 2014}}</ref>
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Under Prime Minister [[Benazir Bhutto]], the ''Hatf'' program was aggressively pursued to address the missile gap with India.<ref name="APH Publ. Corp." /><ref name="Peter Lang">{{cite book |last1=Chakma |first1=Bhumitra |title=Strategic dynamics and nuclear weapons proliferation in South Asia : a historical analysis |date=2004 |publisher=Peter Lang |isbn=3039103822 |___location=Bern}}</ref> The Benazir Bhutto government negotiated engineering education and training on rockets with China and later North Korea.<ref name="Foreign Policy">{{cite web |last1=Collins |first1=Catherine |title=Tale of Two Bhuttos |url=https://foreignpolicy.com/articles/2007/11/18/a_tale_of_two_bhuttos |access-date=22 November 2014 |publisher=Foreign Policy}}</ref> Pakistani military officials documented that Pakistan made substantial cash payments to China and North Korea through its [[State Bank of Pakistan|State Bank]] to acquire practical knowledge in aerospace engineering, controls engineering, programming and space sciences.<ref name="Stanford University Press, Khan, 2012" /><ref name="Penguin India">{{cite book |last1=Hussain |first1=Zahid |title=Frontline Pakistan : the path to catastrophe and the killing of Benazir Bhutto |date=2008 |publisher=Penguin India |isbn=978-0143064794 |edition=New |___location=Delhi}}</ref>
Despite constraints and limitations, the ''Hatf'' program was made [[Feasibility study|feasible]], and former Prime Minister [[Benazir Bhutto]] is described as the "political architect of Pakistan's missile technology" by Emily MacFarquhar of the [[Alicia Patterson Foundation]].<ref name="Alicia Patterson Foundation">{{cite web |last1=MacFarquhar |first1=Emily |title=Benazir and the Bomb |url=http://aliciapatterson.org/stories/benazir-and-bomb |access-date=22 November 2014 |publisher=Alicia Patterson Foundation}}</ref> In 2014, former Prime Minister [[Yusuf Raza Gilani|Yousaf Raza Gillani]] acknowledged Benazir Bhutto's contribution, stating, "Benazir Bhutto gave this country the much-needed missile technology."<ref name="GEO TV">{{cite news |date=18 October 2014 |title=Aitzaz calls for introduction of fresh blood in PPP |url=http://www.geo.tv/article-162925-Aitzaz-calls-for-introduction-of-fresh-blood-in-PPP |access-date=22 November 2014 |publisher=GEO TV}}</ref>
The program eventually expanded and diversified with the successful development of cruise missiles and other strategic-level arsenals in the early 2000s.<ref name="ainonline.com">{{cite web |title=Pakistan Launches Indigenous ALCM Again | Defense: Aviation International News |url=http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/ain-defense-perspective/2012-06-08/pakistan-launches-indigenous-alcm-again |access-date=7 February 2015 |publisher=ainonline.com}}</ref>
=== Reports of ICBM Development Targeting Continental United States ===
According to a report published by Foreign Affairs magazine, [[Pakistan]] is advancing efforts to develop a [[Ballistic missile|nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile]] (ICBM) capable of reaching the continental [[United States]]. If confirmed, such a development would represent a major leap in [[Islamabad]]’s strategic capabilities and could potentially alter its classification in U.S. strategic assessments, formally designating [[Pakistan]] as a [[Nuclear weapon|nuclear]] adversary. The report underscores growing international concern over the trajectory and scope of Pakistan’s missile research and development program.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-06-25 |title=Pakistan developing nuclear missiles that can reach United States, warns Foreign Affairs report - CNBC TV18 |url=https://www.cnbctv18.com/world/pakistan-developing-nuclear-missiles-that-can-reach-united-states-report-19626908.htm |access-date=2025-06-26 |website=CNBCTV18 |language=en}}</ref>
===Codenames===
The Pakistani military issued a single military designation series, ''Hatf'' ([[Transliteration|Trans.]] [[Aiming point|''Target'']]), for all of its surface-to-surface [[Missile|guided ballistic missiles]].<ref name="Defence Journal, 1998" /> This designation was selected by the research and development committee at the
The unofficial names, such as [[Ghauri (missile)|Ghauri]], [[Ghaznavi (missile)|Ghaznavi]], and [[Abdali-I|Abdali]], were codenames for developing projects assigned to defense contractors. These names were derived from historical figures involved in the [[Muslim conquests in the Indian subcontinent|Islamic conquest]] of [[South Asia]].<ref name="BBC, Pakistan Bureau">{{cite news |last1=Abbas |first1=Zaffar |date=28 May 2002 |title=Pakistan's missile symbolism |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/2014843.stm |access-date=26 December 2014 |publisher=BBC, Pakistan Bureau |agency=BBC}}</ref> The contractors were issued the project names after the Turkish nomads invaded India from the historical region of Greater Khorasan.<ref name="BBC, Pakistan Bureau" />
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|+ ''Hatf'' Program Overview <ref>{{cite book |last1=Khan |first1=Zafar |title=Pakistan's Nuclear Policy: A Minimum Credible Deterrence |date=17 July 2014 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-317-67600-3 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OG8KBAAAQBAJ&dq=hatf+missile+series&pg=PT85 |access-date=10 September 2023 |language=en}}</ref>
|-
! Military designation !! Codename
!Role!! Deployment !! Unit !! Branch |-
| Hatf-I || [[Hatf-I|Hatf]]
|[[Short-range ballistic missile|SRBM]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Hatf 1 |url=https://missilethreat.csis.org/missile/hatf-1/ |access-date=2025-05-20 |website=Missile Threat |language=en-US}}</ref>|| 1992 || {{small|[[Army Strategic Forces Command (Pakistan)|Army Strategic Forces Command]]}} || {{army|PAK}}
|-
| Hatf-II || [[Abdali-I|Abdali]]
|[[Short-range ballistic missile|SRBM]]|| 2002 || {{small|Army Strategic Forces Command}} || {{army|PAK}} |-
| Hatf-III || [[Ghaznavi (missile)|Ghaznavi]]
|[[Short-range ballistic missile|SRBM]]|| 2004 || {{small|Army Strategic Forces Command}} || {{army|PAK}} |-
| Hatf-IV || [[Shaheen-I|Shaheen]]
|[[SRBM]]|| 2003 || {{small|Army Strategic Forces Command}}|| {{army|PAK}} |-
| Hatf-V || [[Ghauri (missile)|Ghauri]]
|[[Medium-range ballistic missile|MRBM]]|| 2003 || {{small|Army Strategic Forces Command}} || {{army|PAK}} |-
| Hatf-VI || [[Shaheen II
|[[MRBM]]|| 2011 || {{small|Army Strategic Forces Command}}|| {{army|PAK}} |-
| Hatf-VII || [[Babur (cruise missile)|Babur]]
|[[Subsonic ammunition|Subsonic]] [[Cruise missile|Cruise Missile]] | 2011 || {{small|Army Strategic Forces Command}} <br>{{small|Naval Strategic Forces Command}} || {{army|PAK}}<br>{{navy|PAK}} |-
| Hatf-VIII || [[Ra'ad (air-launched cruise missile)|Ra'ad]]
|[[Standoff weapon|Standoff]] [[Air-launched cruise missile|ALCM]]|| 2012 || {{small|Air Force Strategic Forces Command}} || {{air force|PAK}} |-
| Hatf-IX || [[Nasr (missile)|Nasr]]
|[[Short-range ballistic missile|SRBM]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Nasr (Hatf 9) |url=https://missilethreat.csis.org/missile/hatf-9/ |access-date=2025-05-20 |website=Missile Threat |language=en-US}}</ref>|| 2011 || {{small|Army Strategic Forces Command}} || {{army|PAK}}
|}
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{{Main|Hatf-I|Nasr (missile)|l1 = Hatf|l2 = Nasr}}
The [[Hatf-I]] ([[English language|English tr.]]: "Target") was the first project developed under this program in 1987. Deployed by the Pakistan Army, the Hatf-I is a [[
Despite claims of success by the Pakistani administration, the Pakistani military admitted that the missile system’s inaccuracy led to the program’s shelving until 2000 when it finally entered military service.{{rp|235–245}}<ref name="Stanford University Press, Khan, 2012" /> Western assessments believed this system to be influenced directly by American and French space rockets studied by SUPARCO as part of its original civilian space program.<ref>"Pakistan derives its first 'Hatf' missiles from foreign space rockets," The Risk Report, October 1995, p. 5</ref><ref name="Missiles of the World">{{cite web |title=MissileThreat :: Hatf 1 :: Missiles of the World |url=http://www.missilethreat.com/missilesoftheworld/id.47/missile_detail.asp |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071008193609/http://www.missilethreat.com/missilesoftheworld/id.47/missile_detail.asp |archive-date=2007-10-08 |access-date=7 February 2015}}</ref>
Lessons and experiences gained from the Hatf-I eventually led to the design and development of the [[Nasr (missile)|''Nasr'']] in 2011, which is widely believed to be a delivery system for small [[tactical nuclear weapon]]s. The
===Short–medium range development===
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The [[History of Pakistan|Zia administration]] acquired Soviet [[Scud missile|Scud]] technology from the former [[Afghan Army|Afghan National Army]], but it provided little benefit to the country's scientists in understanding short-range missile systems.{{rp|235–244}}<ref name="Stanford University Press, Khan, 2012" /> In 1993, the Benazir Bhutto government began secretly procuring the [[DF-11]] from China.<ref name="Janes">{{cite web |title=Hatf 3 (Ghaznavi) (Pakistan), Offensive weapons |url=http://articles.janes.com/articles/Janes-Strategic-Weapon-Systems/Hatf-3-Ghaznavi-Pakistan.html |access-date=16 June 2011 |publisher=Janes}}</ref> While the Chinese short-range missile was not nuclear weapons delivery capable, attempts to reverse engineer its delivery mechanism failed.{{rp|235–244}}<ref name="Stanford University Press, Khan, 2012" />
In 1995, Pakistan initiated a program to develop short-range missiles based on a solid fuel platform, with China providing technological assistance and education in aerospace and controls engineering.{{rp|235–244}}<ref name="Stanford University Press, Khan, 2012" /> To address the deployment limitations of the [[M-11 (missile)|M-11]], the [[Abdali-I|Abdali program]] was designed and implemented by the SUPARCO in 1995, while the [[Ghaznavi (missile)|Ghaznavi program]] was delegated to the [[National Defence Complex]], deriving from M-11 designs.{{rp|235–244}}<ref name="Stanford University Press, Khan, 2012" /><ref name="Janes" /> The Ghaznavi's [[rocket engine]], tested in 1997, was a significant breakthrough
During this time, the [[Shaheen-I|Shaheen program]] was pursued and developed by the [[National Defence Complex]] (NDC). Despite facing technological setbacks the ''Shaheen'' program continued to evolve, producing its first prototype in 1999.<ref name="Khalid Hanif, original article at Jang Newspapers">{{cite web |last1=Khalid |first1=Hanif |title=How 'Shaheen' Was Developed |url=https://fas.org/news/pakistan/1999/fbis-nes-1999-0422.htm |access-date=22 November 2014 |publisher=Khalid Hanif, original article at Jang Newspapers}}</ref> The program proved sustainable, producing improved variants.<ref name="Missile Threat">{{cite web |title=Pakistan Seeks To Counter Indian ABM Defenses |url=http://missilethreat.com/missile-class/shaheen-3/ |access-date=22 November 2014 |website=missilethreat.com |publisher=Missile Threat}}</ref> The [[Ababeel (missile)|Ababeel]] was developed with [[Multiple independently targetable reentry vehicle|MIRV]] capability to counter India's missile defence.<ref>{{cite news |title=Pakistan conducts first flight test of Ababeel surface-to-surface missile |url=http://www.dawn.com/news/1310452/pakistan-conducts-first-flight-test-of-ababeel-surface-to-surface-missile |access-date=24 January 2017 |work=[[Dawn (newspaper)|Dawn]]}}</ref>
The ''Hatf'' program diversified into [[Liquid-propellant rocket|liquid-fuel]] technology, with [[Khan Research Laboratories|KRL]] as its lead. The technology for this program came directly from North Korea, with support from the Benazir Bhutto administration.<ref>{{Citation |title=surface to surface missile, Hatf-V (Ghauri) |date=6 April 1998 |url=https://fas.org/news/pakistan/1998/04/16980406.htm}}</ref> Pakistani military admissions confirm that the Finance ministry under Benazir Bhutto paid significant amounts of cash to North Korea to facilitate the transfer of North Korean scientists to Pakistani universities for teaching aerospace engineering.{{rp|244}}<ref name="Stanford University Press, Khan, 2012" /> Originally based entirely on the [[Hwasong-7|Rodong-1]], the [[Ghauri (missile)|''Ghauri program'']], designed under the guidance of North Korean engineers, took its first flight in 1998 but failed due to engine failure and a flawed design.<ref name="Defence News">{{cite news |last1=Ansari |first1=Usman |date=28 May 2012 |title=Pakistan Test-Fires Medium-Range Ballistic Missile |url=http://www.defensenews.com/article/20121128/DEFREG03/311280005/Pakistan-Test-Fires-Medium-Range-Ballistic-Missile |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130719165134/http://www.defensenews.com/article/20121128/DEFREG03/311280005/Pakistan-Test-Fires-Medium-Range-Ballistic-Missile |archive-date=19 July 2013 |access-date=22 November 2014 |publisher=Defence News |agency=Defence News}}</ref>
After the first flight failure in 1998, North Korean engineers were removed from the program, forcing [[Khan Research Laboratories|KRL]] to work on reverse engineering and redesign the entire weapon system. With assistance from the [[Defence Science & Technology Organisation|DESTO]] and [[National Defence Complex|NDC]], the first missile, Ghauri-I, was made
===Cruise missile technology===
[[File:Babur cruise missile 3.jpg|thumb|250px|right|{{small|The ''Babur'' in Pakistani military markings being showcased in Karachi in 2006.}}]]Development on understanding and developing cruise missile technology began in Pakistan when India initiated its [[Indian Ballistic Missile Defence Programme|missile defense program]] in 1998. Amidst the tense environment between the [[Second Nawaz Sharif ministry|Sharif administration]], [[Premiership of Atal Bihari Vajpayee|Vajpayee premiership]] and [[Presidency of Bill Clinton|Clinton administration]], Pakistan's development of cruise missiles was spurred by India's acquisition of the [[S-300 missile system|S-300 Grumble]] from Russia and its attempts to negotiate with the United States for the [[MIM-104 Patriot|Patriot PAC-3]]. These developments negatively impacted Pakistan's land-based [[Deterrence theory|deterrence]] mechanism.{{rp|388}}<ref name="Stanford University Press, Khan, 2012" />
It took Pakistan several years to make its cruise missile program feasible. In 2005, the first [[Babur (cruise missile)|Babur]] (Pakistani military designation: Hatf-VII) was successfully test-fired by the army, surprising the United States.<ref>{{cite news |title=Pakistan test-fires nuclear-capable Babur missile with 700 km range |url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-09-17/pakistan/33901443_1_nuclear-capable-hatf-vii-terrain-contour |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120918122437/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-09-17/pakistan/33901443_1_nuclear-capable-hatf-vii-terrain-contour |archive-date=2012-09-18 |work=[[The Times of India]]}}</ref> In 2007, Pakistan announced the development and test-firing of [[Ra'ad (air-launched cruise missile)|Ra'ad]] (Pakistani military designation: Hatf-VIII), demonstrating its air-launched cruise missile capability.<ref>{{cite news |date=5 June 2012 |title=Pak test fires Hatf VII nuclear missile |url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/article3492864.ece |work=The Hindu |___location=Chennai, India}}</ref>
In 2017, Pakistan conducted a successful launch of the ''[[Babur (cruise missile)|Babur-III]]'' missile from an [[Submarine-launched missile|underwater mobile platform]]. This long-desired capability for the Navy effectively established Pakistan's [[Second strike|second-strike capability]] from sea.<ref>{{cite news |date=10 January 2017 |title=Pakistan fires 'first submarine-launched nuclear-capable missile' |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-pakistan-missiles-idUSKBN14T1EL |access-date=26 July 2017 |newspaper=Reuters}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=9 January 2017 |title=Pakistan test-fires first submarine cruise missile Babur-3 |url=http://arynews.tv/en/pakistan-test-fires-first-submarine-launched-cruise-missile-babur-3/ |access-date=26 July 2017 |website=AryNews.tv}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=9 January 2017 |title=Pakistan 'launches first cruise missile from submarine' |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-38563330 |access-date=26 July 2017 |work=BBC News}}</ref>
==See also==
* [[List of missiles of Pakistan]]
* [[Khan Research Laboratories]]
==References==
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