Pakistan Missile Technology
Shaheen IA
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Shaheen-IA / Hatf-IV | |
|---|---|
| Type | Medium Range Ballistic Missile |
| Place of origin |  Pakistan |
| Service history | |
| In service | |
| Used by | Pakistan |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | National Defence Complex (NDC) |
| Produced | Shaheen I (1999) Shaheen IA (2012) |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | Shaheen I (9,500 kg) Shaheen IA (10,000 kg) |
| Length | |
| Diameter | |
| Warhead | 1000 kg single warhead 3-5 200-300 kg MIRVed warheads |
| Engine | Solid fule rocket motor |
| Propellant | Solid fule |
| Operational range | Shaheen I (750km) Shaheen IA (1500km) |
| Launch platform | Transporter erector iauncher (TEL) |
The Shaheen (Urdu: شاهين) missile series, named after a species of falcon found in the mountains of Pakistan, was developed by NESCOM's National Defence Complex (NDC) of Pakistan . Shaheen I is also designated Hatf IV. Both the Shaheen I and Shaheen IA are Pakistan's equivalent to the United States Pershing I and Pershing IA series.
Description
On 25 April 2012, Pakistan successfully test-launched an upgraded Shaheen I called Shaheen 1A. The military said in a statement that the Shaheen 1A is a medium-range ballistic missile. It is an improved version of the Shaheen 1 with better accuracy and double the range of its predecessor.
The Pakistani military initially did not publicly reveal the range of the missile which lead to media speculation of the true range of the missile. The missile is also equipped with maneuverable reentry vehicle warheads designed to evade missile defense systems.The speed of the Shaheen 1A also provides an extremely high impact speed for nearby targets, enabling it to avoid any anti-ballistic missile defenses that may develop in the immediate region. A western official in Islamabad mentioned that the Shaheen 1A missile seems to have an improved ability to strike at its targets. It also has a more powerful engine, which means that it travels at scramjet speeds and can strike at longer distances than Shaheen-1.
On 25th April 2012, the ISPR revealed more information about the missile. The missile weight is approximately 10,000 kg, slightly heavier than its predecessor and can carry either a single 1000kg warhead or be MIRVED with between 3 to 5 nuclear warheads weighing between 200-300 kg each.In addition, the Shaheen IA primarily contains sophisticated automated refueling and advanced stealth technology features that were not present in its previous version to avoid detections from radars. Even Pakistani radars could not track the missile after it was launched. All three Shaheen missiles, Shaheen I, Shaheen 1A and Shaheen II are reportedly equipped with the latest PSAC (Post-Separation Attitude Correction) system. This is a unique feature which consists of small thrusters that can adjust the warhead trajectory for greater accuracy and evading anti-ballistic missile defence systems. The features of the missile could also serve as a testbed of features which could be implemented on the yet to be deployed Shaheen III which could potentially have a range of 4500km.
Operational history
The Shaheen I was first test-launched on April 15, 1999. Two test-launches of a second version with greater range and improved accuracy were carried out in October 2002 and two more in October 2003. A batch of Shaheen I missiles, enough to equip one regiment/battery, was handed over to the Pakistan Army in 2003 along with mobile launchers.Another was tested on 8 May 2010 The Shaheen 1A was test fired on 25 April 2012.
