Pakistan Missile Technology
Shaheen I
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Shaheen-I / Hatf-IV | |
|---|---|
| External Image 1 The Shaheen-I missile on display. | |
| Type | Short Range Ballistic Missile |
| Place of origin |  Pakistan |
| Service history | |
| In service | 6 March 2003 |
| 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 | 12 m |
| Diameter | 1 m |
| Warhead | 1000 kg single warhead 3-5 200-300 kg MIRVed warheads |
| Engine | Solid fuel rocket motor |
| Propellant | Solid fuell |
| Operational range | Shaheen I (750km) Shaheen IA (1500km) |
| Launch platform | Transporter erector launcher (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
Shaheen 1
Shaheen I is a short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) with an optimal range of 750 km and propelled by a two stage solid fuel rocket motor. The Shaheen I can deliver either a conventional or a nuclear payload much faster than liquid fuelled missiles such as the Ghauri because it does not need to be fuelled before launch, reducing deployment time significantly.
The Shaheen I is believed to be very accurate Pakistani military sources state a CEP of 25 to 50 m can be achieved, partly due to a "post-separation attitude correction system." This system would allow the missile to modify its trajectory, improving accuracy and, along with the stealthy warhead shaping, giving some capability to evade missile defence systems. It is based on terminal guidance system technology, which improves warhead accuracy by firing small thrusters to adjust the warhead's trajectory and uses satellite navigation systems to help find the target. Such systems would allow the Shaheen to be used against strategic targets without requiring a nuclear warhead to ensure the target's destruction.
According to other sources, the CEP of Shaheen I is 200 meters.
Shaheen 1A
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.
