RAWALPINDI: Pakistan conducted on Thursday a successful training launch of Shaheen-II, also known as Hatf-VI, ballistic missile.

The intermediate-range Shaheen-II is capable of carrying nuclear and conventional warheads to a range of 1500 kilometres.

The launch was the culminating point of the field training exercise of Army Strategic Forces Command (ASFC) aimed at ensuring operational readiness of a strategic missile group, besides revalidating different design and technical parameters of the weapon system.

The launch, having its impact point somewhere in Arabian Sea, was witnessed by Director General Strategic Plans Division Lt Gen Zubair Mahmood Hayat, Commander ASFC Lt Gen Obaid Ullah Khan, Chairman Nescom Mohammad Irfan Burney, senior officers from the strategic forces, scientists and engineers of strategic organisations, said an ISPR press release.

Addressing the participating troops and scientists at the launch area, Lt Gen Hayat congratulated the participating team on achieving yet another milestone towards consolidation of full spectrum credible minimum deterrence.

He appreciated the operational preparedness and readiness of ASFC for making the successful launch of Shaheen-II possible.

He expressed full confidence in the existing robust Strategic Command and Control System.

He reiterated that Pakistan was a peace-loving nation with no aggressive designs against any one. Pakistan’s strategic forces were fully capable of safeguarding security of the motherland against any aggression.

Published in Dawn, November 14th, 2014