Shaheen-I

The Shaheen-I (; Military designation: Hatf–IV, Translit.: ''Target-4''), is a land-based short-range ballistic missile designed and developed by the National Defence Complex and National Engineering & Science Commission.

The system is currently deployed in military service with strategic commands of the Pakistan Army as''Hatf-IV, and it is dedicated and named after a species of Falcon found in the mountain ranges of Pakistan.

Description

Codename

The JS HQ officially adopted the codename of the missile as "Hatf–IV. It has been reported that it was Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif who suggested the name "Shaheen" by taking a cue from philosopher Iqbal's poetic symbol Shaheen ''Falcon''. After being test fired in 1999, JS HQ officially codenamed the missile as "Hatf–IV Shaheen. Though its variants are now known as Shaheen-I and Shaheen-IA.

Shaheen 1

The ''Shaheen-I'' is a nuclear weapons-delivery capable and short-range ballistic missile with a range of ; it is propelled by two-stage solid-fuel rocket motor. The ''Shaheen-I'' is said to be extremely accurate and precise with Pakistani military data stating that its CEP is between –. This is 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.

Shaheen 1A

The Shaheen-1A is a strategic nuclear weapon delivery-capable system that was first test fired at Air Force's Flight Test Range on 7 April 2012. Initially, the ISPR and the American media identified this missile as medium-range ballistic missile, but the Pakistani military confirms that it is a short-range missile with extended range.

No data had been shared by the military that led the speculations about the missile's capabilities. However, a civilian analyst on military affairs in Islamabad reportedly noted that this missile could be equipped with 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 European diplomat 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 25 April 2012, the ISPR revealed more information about the missile, noting that the weight is approximately 10,000 kg, slightly heavier than its predecessor and can carry a single 1000 kg warhead. 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. 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 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. Shaheen-1 A ( Hatf IV), with a range of 900 km, was test-fired on 17 November 2014.

Operational history

Development on ''Shaheen'' program began in 1995 and the program went to National Development Complex bureau of the National Engineering and Scientific Commission (NESCOM). The program was put under Dr. Samar Mubarakmand– a nuclear physicist and a fluid dynamicist who delegated the program to country's scientists and engineers. Necessary funding for the program were secured by the military, and the development on rocket engine and its eventually testing began to be utilized by the SUPARCO.

In the memoirs of scientists who worked on the program maintained that "Shaheen was a very difficult program and the development of this system has given maximum accuracy– a 100% capability of destroying its target." The program's original goal was to developed a supersonic missile that it would be impossible for any missile defense system could intercept it. Solid-fuel systems for the guided missiles are very difficult to develop and Pakistani scientists closely monitored the Indian development of the Agni-II missile. The Space Research Commission continued to modifies the designs, and repeatedly tests the Solid-fuel rocket motors on multiple occasions.

The ''Shaheen-I'' was test fired on 15 April 1999 by a joint team of NDC and SUPARCO led under Dr. Samar Mubarakmand from the Sonmiani Test Range, which was termed as "highly successfully". At the height of military standoff with India in 2002, another test took place and it was quoted by Information minister Nisar Memon

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