On 11 Aug. 05 Pakistan tested its Ground Launched Cruise Missile named Babur, capable of carrying a nuclear or conventional warhead up to a distance of 500 kms. Pakistani Military has claimed that the missile has the most modern navigational and guidance system with terrain hugging capability and the missile can penetrate undetected any hostile defensive system. Without doubt a potent threat to India if all its parameters are true as claimed.
As it always happens with Pakistan, the first test itself of the missile Inshallah succeeded in all its planned parameters. Needless to say, Pakistan has claimed the missile to be indigenously developed. Like all Pakistani missiles before this, Babur has also come into being only after India has successfully tested its supersonic cruise missile ' Bhramos'.
In 1998 Pakistan tested its nuclear capable Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile Ghauri and claimed it to be a home product. With the grace of Allah, who is ever king to Pakistan, this missile also succeeded in all its parameters on the very first try. It is worth mentioning here that the world's most advanced countries like USA, France and others have to test each of their missiles during development stage at an average of four to six times but Pakistan achieves the same in the first test itself.
After the recent exposure of the nuclear proliferation ring of Mr. Abdul Kadir Khan, considered to be the Father of Pakistani Nuclear bomb, whole world has come to know that the Ghauri missile claimed by Pakistan as its own is none other than the North Korean No Dong missile acquired by Pakistan in exchange for supply of critical nuclear bomb making technology to North Korea in early ninetees. Herein lies the secret of first test successes, which Pakistan invariably achieves during its missile tests. Pre tested and clandestinely imported factory produced missiles like North Korean ' No dong'; Chinese 'M-9', 'M-11' and 'M-18' do not need another test. Almost all the missiles in Pakistani armoury are either of Chinese origin, North Korean origin or their variants. The Hatf and Shaheen series of missiles of Pakistan have the Chinese language. Cases in point are 700 km. Range Hatf 4, and 180 km range Hatf-5 missiles, which are the repainted versions of Chinese M-9 missile while Shaheen corresponds to Chinese M-11 missile. China is reportedly collaborating with Pakistan to develop a 2000 km.
{{/usCountry}}After the recent exposure of the nuclear proliferation ring of Mr. Abdul Kadir Khan, considered to be the Father of Pakistani Nuclear bomb, whole world has come to know that the Ghauri missile claimed by Pakistan as its own is none other than the North Korean No Dong missile acquired by Pakistan in exchange for supply of critical nuclear bomb making technology to North Korea in early ninetees. Herein lies the secret of first test successes, which Pakistan invariably achieves during its missile tests. Pre tested and clandestinely imported factory produced missiles like North Korean ' No dong'; Chinese 'M-9', 'M-11' and 'M-18' do not need another test. Almost all the missiles in Pakistani armoury are either of Chinese origin, North Korean origin or their variants. The Hatf and Shaheen series of missiles of Pakistan have the Chinese language. Cases in point are 700 km. Range Hatf 4, and 180 km range Hatf-5 missiles, which are the repainted versions of Chinese M-9 missile while Shaheen corresponds to Chinese M-11 missile. China is reportedly collaborating with Pakistan to develop a 2000 km.
{{/usCountry}}Range missile, which will be the copy of Chinese M-18 missile.
Unlike a ballistic missile, which hurls the nuclear warhead into space out of the earth's atmosphere and allows the warhead to make an unguided reentry into the atmosphere and on the target, the Cruise missile remains in the earth's atmosphere from the start to the end. In other words the nuclear or conventional warhead of a cruise missile remains under propulsion and guidance all the time till the impact on the target.
The recently developed Indian and Russian joint venture " Brahmos" is the only supersonic cruise missile in the world. All other cruise missiles in the world travel at subsonic speed (less than speed of sound). There is no counter available to Brahmos as it beats detection and any counter action due to its tremendous speed.
The Pakistani claim that its cruise missile Babur flies hugging the ground so it cannot be detected, must be taken with a pinch of salt. Cruise missile is a precision weapon and Pakistan simply does not have the capability to develop the sophisticated guidance system required in ground hugging cruise missile.
Pakistan however can definitely import these missiles from it all weather friend China, which in all probability it has done to counter India's Brahmos.
Chinese missiles are rugged but they are not known to be very high tech or good in navigation and accuracy. India now will have to go for low-level radar surveillance system to identify low-low flying objects. Indian deal with Israel of Provision of AWACS (Falcon) by the year 2006 has not come too soon and will prove to be a boon in disguise. To shoot down these missiles India will have to think of developing an anti missile system like the US Patriot. Alternatively India may think of purchasing these anti missiles from US. The threat to us is real and planning to counter it must commence now.