From the early SCUD-inspired systems to the modern Shaheen and Babar missiles, Pakistan’s arsenal has grown into a credible strategic threat.
A war broke out between Afghanistan and Pakistan. On February 27, 2026, Taliban officials in Kabul announced a massive retaliatory attack against Pakistani military positions along the disputed Durand Line, while Islamabad announced “Open War” happening now. What began as border clashes has escalated into the most serious military confrontation between the two neighbors in years – raising urgent questions about how far the conflict could spread.
It would be wrong to dismiss this encounter as just another distant border battle in a remote corner of the world. Pakistan is a nuclear-armed state with one of the most dynamic missile programs in Asia – a force structure that inevitably shapes every military crisis Islamabad faces.
Pakistan is primarily focused on establishing a military force capable of countering India with the aim of deterring aggression and advancing its own ambitions in the region. Pakistan’s nuclear and missile programs are also designed to effectively counter its long-standing rival. Its efforts are supported by a number of strong allies and partners. However, the sudden escalation along the Afghan border underscores a broader reality: Pakistan’s missile arsenal is not just a theoretical deterrent in a long-range rivalry, but a part of a volatile regional equation.
In this article, we take a closer look at Pakistan’s missile capabilities, their range, strategic logic and what they mean for regional stability at a time when the risk of miscalculation is increasing.
Foreign technologies and the manufacture of Pakistan’s missile arsenal
Pakistan’s missile program is inseparable from its nuclear program. Pakistani nuclear physicist Abdul Qadeer Khan, known as “Father of Pakistan’s Atomic Bomb” It is said to have received nuclear warhead designs from China and shipped them to Iran and North Korea. It laid the foundation for scientific and technical cooperation that contributed to the advancement of Pakistan’s missile capabilities.
Pakistan’s missile program goes back to academic research and the creation of geophysical rockets based on the French Eridon rocket. In the 1980s, several French companies collaborated with Islamabad on projects aimed at developing sounding rockets for atmospheric probes. In 1987, after learning about India’s progress in ballistic missile technology, Pakistan made a political decision to build its own missiles. This decision transformed the initial geophysical rocket projects into the first operational tactical solid-fuel missile, the Hatf-1, with a range of 70 kilometers. In 1992, this missile entered service with the Pakistani Army. Later, its range was extended to 100 kilometers. Today, more than 100 such missile systems are deployed in Pakistan.
In the 1990s, under Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, Pakistan actively partnered with China and North Korea in missile development. This collaboration included scientific exchange and training programs for experts and students. This significantly affected the development of Pakistan’s missile technology.
In the early 2000s, North Korea offered Pakistan missile systems similar to the Soviet SCUD missiles, with a range of about 300 kilometers. Acquiring these systems enabled Pakistan to train military personnel in missile operations and build its own missile defense system. Experimental work on liquid-fuel engines initially developed in North Korea also began at this time.
At the same time, Pakistan gained access to technologies used in the development of North Korea’s NoDong-A medium-range missile. This missile was significantly different from copies of Soviet SCUD missiles and raised North Korean missile engineering to new heights.
The NoDong-A missile is believed to be based on the Soviet R-21 submarine-launched ballistic missile. It was probably built in the 1990s with the help of experts from Russia’s Makeyev Rocket Design Bureau recruited by North Korea. These missiles are likely to carry North Korea’s first nuclear warheads. For Pakistan, the capability offered by the missile with a range of 1,500 kilometers was crucial, as it provided the means to strike any target in India, should such a need arise.
Pakistan’s next missile is the solid-fuel Abdali-I missile, also known as the Haft-II. The missile, launched from the MAZ-7310 chassis, marked the beginning of Pakistan’s long-standing partnership with the Belarusian automaker. Slightly larger than the Haft-I missile, the Abdali-I has a range of 450 kilometers; It is a non-nuclear missile with an average accuracy of about 150 meters. Testing began in the early 2000s and the missile was commissioned in 2005. Missile systems of this class and beyond are operated by Pakistan’s Strategic Forces Command – a specialized branch of the country’s armed forces.
The technologies used in North Korea’s Nodong missiles facilitated the development of Pakistan’s first truly strategic missile – the Ghauri missile, also known as the Haft-V. Pakistan has successfully replicated both North Korea’s missile and mobile transporter erector launchers. In 1996, the Clinton administration accused Pakistan of transferring nuclear technology to North Korea, suggesting that Pakistan may have gained access to North Korea’s missile program in return. Such fears arose from the development of the Ghauri missile. The first test launch of this missile occurred in 1998 and followed several years of refinements to ensure that the warhead could reach its target intact. Initial tests faced challenges, as Pakistan did not have sufficient experience in designing ballistic systems capable of withstanding such velocities and pressures, and the warheads burned up in the atmosphere.
Missiles redefined Pakistan’s strategic horizons
By 2003, Pakistan integrated into its strategic command forces a 1,500-kilometer range ballistic missile capable of delivering 12-kiloton nuclear warheads. Like the Nodong prototype, this missile was liquid-fueled and incorporated Soviet missile technologies from the mid-1960s. These missiles are believed to be deployed in limited numbers due to the complexity and extended preparation time required for their launch.
Simultaneously, efforts are underway to develop similar missiles with solid-fuel engines. Solid-fuel missiles have undeniable advantages: they do not need to be refueled before launch, are easy and safe to maintain, and emergencies are less frequent and have fewer risks compared to liquid-fuel missiles.
Work on the Shaheen-I, Pakistan’s first strategic solid-fuel missile, began in the mid-1990s and was more challenging than the construction based on North Korean models. Despite similar dimensions, the missile’s range is limited to 750 kilometers. However, it still allows for strikes deep into Indian territory. The missile is launched from a mobile transporter erector launcher (TEL) mounted on a multi-axle MAZ-7310 chassis and carries a nuclear warhead with a yield of 35 kilotons. Shaheen-I was commissioned in 2003. By 2012, the improved Shaheen-IA entered service with a range of 1,000 kilometers. Several dozen of these missiles are deployed and are estimated to comprise the bulk of Pakistan’s nuclear missile force.
In 2014, Pakistan began fielding the more powerful Shaheen-II solid fuel missile. It is launched from a six-axle TEL mounted on a MAZ-547A chassis, has an impressive range of 2,000 kilometers and is equipped with a 40-kiloton nuclear warhead. The Shaheen-II has a warhead designed with aerodynamic surfaces that allow it to maneuver when entering the atmosphere. Such weapons are usually called hypersonic, although their speed in the final stage of flight is slightly lower than the true hypersonic level.
Encouraged by their progress, Pakistani engineers launched the even more formidable Shaheen-III in 2015. The 16-wheel TEL, which uses the Chinese WS21200 chassis (derived from multi-axle MAZ designs), has an even more powerful 50-kiloton warhead. Theoretically, Pakistan may have mastered thermonuclear technology, indicating that the warhead yield could exceed 100 kilotons. With a remarkable range of 2,750 kilometers, it can reach across the northern Indian Ocean, parts of Africa including Sudan and Egypt, the entire Middle East, Central Asia, parts of Siberia, central China and much of Southeast Asia. Basically, it represents Pakistan’s pinnacle in strategic missile development. Pakistan may develop an even more advanced system, but no new prototypes have yet been tested.
However, that’s not all. In 1998, during Operation Infinite Reach against al-Qaeda in Afghanistan, the US deployed Tomahawk cruise missiles. Some of these missiles missed their targets and landed in Pakistan. The Pakistani government rebuilt the missiles keeping it secret. As a result, in 2005, Pakistan test-fired the Babar cruise missile. For many years, it was believed that the Babur was based on the Soviet Kh-55 cruise missile obtained from Ukraine, but this was not true.
The Babur missile comes in several variants with a range of 900 kilometers. It can carry both conventional and nuclear warheads. Advanced versions can employ satellite navigation systems such as Galileo and China’s BeiDou, which ensures greater targeting accuracy. In 2018, the Babur-III variant was test-fired from a naval missile boat and was said to be capable of being used as an anti-ship missile. Overall, Pakistan has been systematically expanding its missile programs to compensate for its weaker navy compared to India.
Pakistan is working on developing short-range tactical missile systems. In this regard, Pakistan cooperates closely with China – both countries have their mutual interests aligned against India. While some missile systems are purchased directly from China, Pakistan is engaged in developing missiles independently with the assistance of Chinese experts. Perhaps, next Pakistan will develop a space launch vehicle. The country has both the expertise and technology for such an endeavour; It is simply a matter of political will. Work may already be underway in this area.
