Fatah-4 Missile

Recently, Pakistan announced the successful test of its new long-range cruise missile, Fatah-IV, showcasing a significant advancement in its missile capabilities.

About the Fatah-4 Missile

• Indigenous Development: The Fatah-4 is Pakistan’s indigenously developed long-range cruise missile, designed for precision strikes.

• Range: The missile has a range of 750 kilometers (470 miles), enabling it to target distant locations with high accuracy.

• Speed: It can reach speeds of Mach 0.7 (approximately 865 km/h) during flight.

• Size and Weight:

  • Length: Around 7.5 meters.

  • Weight: Approximately 1,530 kilograms.

• Launch Platform: The missile can be fired from transporter-erector-launcher (TEL) vehicles, offering mobility and flexibility in deployment.

• Propulsion: It uses solid-propellant propulsion, allowing it to be rapidly deployed and fired.

Missile Capabilities

• Warhead: The Fatah-4 is designed to carry a conventional warhead weighing around 330 kilograms (approximately 728 pounds), but not nuclear warheads.

• Guidance Systems: The missile is equipped with a navigation suite comprising:

  • Global Positioning System (GPS).

  • Inertial Navigation System (INS).

• Countermeasures: It employs electronic countermeasures and AI-driven technology to help the missile lock onto targets, even in difficult environments with potential interference.

• Accuracy: The Fatah-4 has an impressive Circular Error Probability (CEP) of just 4 meters, which means it can hit targets with an error margin of only 4 meters—a major leap in precision for Pakistan's missile technology.

• Evasion Capability: The missile is designed to evade enemy air defences through its terrain-hugging flight path, making it difficult to intercept.

Strategic Implications

• The successful test of the Fatah-4 enhances Pakistan’s deterrence capabilities in the region and adds to its arsenal of cruise missiles.

• With its advanced features and enhanced accuracy, the missile positions Pakistan to carry out precision strikes with a minimal risk of collateral damage.

• The missile also serves as a technological counter to adversary missile defence systems, especially with its terrain-hugging flight profile and sophisticated evasion features.

Conclusion

The Fatah-4 missile marks a milestone in Pakistan's missile development program, strengthening its capability to carry out precision strikes with a focus on conventional warfare. With advanced avionics, guidance systems, and a strong emphasis on countering air defence mechanisms, the Fatah-4 enhances Pakistan's strategic options, particularly in the realm of long-range precision strikes