Global Security Newswire

Pakistan on Tuesday conducted a trial launch of a ballistic missile designed to carry nuclear or conventional warheads up to 37 miles, Agence France-Presse reported (see GSN, May 10).

The Hatf 9 missile, as known as the Nasr, would be loaded with lower-yield nuclear weapons, former Pakistani Foreign Secretary Tanvir Ahmad Khan said earlier this month (see GSN, May 4).

"This quick response system addresses the need to deter evolving threats, specially at shorter ranges," according to the Pakistani armed forces (Agence France-Presse/Yahoo!News, May 29).

The military in a prepared statement said the system also offers precision targeting and significant mobility, the Xinhua News Agency reported (Xinhua News Agency, May 29).

The Pakistani military has conducted three trial firings of ballistic missiles in the wake of the April test of rival India's Agni 5 missile, according to AFP (see GSN, April 19).

The two nuclear-armed nations have gone to war three time since 1947. While India remains a key strategic worry for Pakistan, New Delhi is turning its attention to China, according to issue specialists. The Agni 5 has a top flight range of about 3,100 miles, meaning it could hit a number of major metropolitan centers in China  (Agence France-Presse).