By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Army on Thursday carried out a successful training launch of the indigenously developed Fatah-IV ground-launched cruise missile, the military’s media wing said, the latest in a string of tests intended to sharpen the force’s long-range precision strike capabilities.
The Inter-Services Public Relations, or ISPR, said in a statement that the Army Rocket Force Command fired the weapon to validate technical parameters of its sub-systems and improve the operational efficiency of troops. The missile is equipped with advanced avionics and state-of-the-art navigational aids that enable it to engage long-range targets with high precision, the military said. The test also examined improvements incorporated to boost accuracy and survivability.
Senior officers from the Army Rocket Force Command observed the launch alongside scientists and engineers from the agency that developed the missile. The ISPR described the exercise as a routine training fire rather than a combat operation.
Top civilian and military leaders quickly offered congratulations. President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf, and Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmad Baber Sidhu all commended the successful training fire, the ISPR said. In a joint message, they praised the “technical prowess, dedication and commitment” of the scientists, engineers and troops involved in the F-series missile program.
The test comes less than three weeks after the Army Rocket Force Command conducted a successful training launch of the indigenously developed Fateh-II missile system. A week earlier, the Pakistan Navy carried out a successful live firing of the Taimoor air-launched cruise missile, an indigenous anti-ship weapon. The ISPR said at the time that the missile “executed its mission with exceptional precision, validating Pakistan Navy’s combat capability to detect, target and decisively neutralise enemy sea-based threats at extended ranges.”
The Fatah-IV itself was last tested in September 2025, when the army reported a successful training launch at a range of 750 kilometers. The Fatah series forms part of Pakistan’s broader program to develop and field its own guided-missile systems, reducing reliance on foreign suppliers and improving operational readiness.
The latest test arrives roughly a year after Pakistan fought a brief but intense war against nuclear-armed neighbor India. The two countries exchanged missile, drone and artillery strikes before announcing a ceasefire.
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