Pakistan tests Fatah-II ballistic missile, same type intercepted during Operation Sindoor

Pakistan's Army has test-launched the Fatah-2 Extended Range hypersonic ballistic missile. The weapon carries advanced navigation and state-of-the-art avionics, and can engage targets with high precision and defeat enemy missile defences because of its trajectory and manoeuvrability, as per the Pakistani military. The launch was witnessed by the commander of the Army Rocket Force Command, senior officers, scientists and engineers. The extended range is expected to enhance Pakistan's reach and its ability to engage deep targets. The test also validated technical parameters of sub-systems meant to improve accuracy and survivability. No range figure was announced for the extended-range version.The Fatah-II is the successor to the Fatah-I and has a longer range and greater precision. In its standard form it is reported to have a range of about 400 km, uses inertial navigation combined with satellite guidance for mid-course correction, and has a terminal guidance system that adjusts its path in the final phase. It carries conventional warheads and is designed to strike military positions and radar installations. The test came days after Pakistan launched an extended-range version of the Fatah-4 ground-launched cruise missile.Fatah-II failed the Sindoor testThe tests come against the backdrop of Operation Sindoor. After the terror attack on civilians in Pahalgam, India struck nine terror targets deep inside Pakistani territory. Pakistan retaliated, and the tempo of operations peaked on May 10, when rocket attacks were intercepted by air defence missiles near the Sirsa air base. Within hours, Indian missile and drone strikes destroyed Pakistani air defence sites and BrahMos strikes hit key air bases, hampering flight operations until runways were repaired. This led to the Pakistani Directors General of Military Operation (DGMO) to call his counterpart to ask for a ceasefire. The failed missile strike, proving to IslamabadIndia is working on its own long-range strike options. The Army has inducted the Pinaka, Smerch, Pralay and BrahMos, and a Long Range Guided Rocket version of the Pinaka under development is meant to reach 120 km. The newest iteration of the BrahMos, which flies at near Mach 3, is expected to extend its range to as much as 800 km. The Army has traditionally relied on the Air Force for deep interdiction missions against command centres, ammunition dumps, bridges and logistics hubs, and missiles can now take on some of these targets.The case for this rests on air defence. India says an S-400 battery brought down a Pakistani aircraft from more than 300 km during Operation Sindoor, which shows how far modern air defences can reach. Against such networks, the use of non-stealth combat aircraft is limited, at a time when the Air Force is short of fighters. Using missiles against deep targets would free those fighters for other tasks.