Nuclear-Armed US Security Partner Unveils New Missile

Newsweek

2 days ago

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Pakistan is boosting its precision-strike capability with a newly developed land-attack cruise missile, enhancing its conventional arsenal as tensions with India threaten renewed conflict.
The Pakistan army unveiled its Fatah‑IV missile and the Timur drone for the first time this week at a public display, according to Pakistani website ARY News.
Newsweek has reached out to the Pakistani government for comment.
Why It Matters
The new weaponry, whose development was revealed already last year, came shortly after a senior Pakistani military official issued a new threat toward rival India during a visit to the United States, and as Islamabad seeks closer ties with Washington in the aftermath of its military confrontation with New Delhi in May over the Pahalgam terror attack.
The Fatah‑IV, alongside nuclear-capable and ballistic missiles, strengthens Pakistan's conventional arsenal and enhances its ability to project power and deter adversaries amid recurring India-Pakistan clashes.
A Pakistani army soldier stands atop a military vehicle carrying Fatah missile (Guided Multi Launch Rocket System) during the Pakistan Day parade in Islamabad on March 23, 2022.
A Pakistani army soldier stands atop a military vehicle carrying Fatah missile (Guided Multi Launch Rocket System) during the Pakistan Day parade in Islamabad on March 23, 2022.
GHULAM RASOOL/AFP/Getty Images
What To Know
The Fatah-IV, which has an effective range of 700 kilometers, or over 400 miles, was revealed ahead of Independence Day celebrations in Islamabad on August 14, according to local media reports. The missile derives from the Fatah-series, part of its strategic deterrence against India.
According to the Stimson Center think tank, Pakistan deployed conventionally armed short-range ballistic missiles against India for the first time in May, using Fatah-I and Fatah-II systems, and possibly other missile types, during the conflict in the contested Kashmir region.
The Fatah‑IV fills the gap between tactical and strategic cruise missiles, complementing its nuclear-capable Babur with similar low-altitude flight characteristics, researchers say. It is capable of bypassing advanced air defenses and striking high-value and mobile targets.
Pakistan's focus on conventional missiles and drones makes Indian air defense systems like the Russian-made S-400 vulnerable to its asymmetric attacks, Frank O'Donnell, a nonresident fellow at the Stimson Center, said last year.
What The Specialists Say
Defense Security Asia reported: "Pakistan's investment in the Fatah-series reflects a deliberate shift toward high-end battlefield effects—enabling precision fires at extended ranges without escalating to ballistic missile warfare. These weapons are not simply deterrents but tools of active combat, redefining the conventional balance between Islamabad and New Delhi by introducing high-precision standoff artillery as an operational staple in future conflicts."
Army Recognition Group reported: "In comparison to India's Nirbhay, which has an announced range of around 1,000 km but has experienced development delays, the Fatah-4 stands out for having entered service quickly and already being integrated into army units."
What Happens Next
Pakistan's unveiling of new weapons systems are meant as a military signal to neighboring India, which is likely to disclosure its own matching capabilities in response.