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By The South Asia Times

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan successfully test-launched an extended version of its indigenously developed Fatah-4 ground-launched cruise missile, the military said, in the latest test of the country’s conventional long-range strike capabilities.

The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media wing, said the weapon system is equipped with advanced avionics and state-of-the-art navigational aids and is capable of engaging targets at extended ranges with high precision.

The test also validated additional technical parameters of various subsystems designed to improve the missile’s accuracy and survivability, ISPR said.

Senior Pakistan Army officers, along with scientists and engineers from the developing agency, witnessed the launch, according to ISPR.

President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir and the service chiefs congratulated those involved in the successful test, praising their technical expertise and commitment.

The test marks another step in Pakistan’s development of domestically produced precision-strike systems.

Pakistan previously conducted a training launch of the Fatah-4 in September 2025 at a reported range of 750 kilometers. The missile has been described as a conventional ground-launched cruise missile designed to improve Pakistan’s precision-strike capabilities.

The Army Rocket Force Command also conducted a Fatah-4 test in May 2026, according to Pakistani media reports. The command was established to strengthen Pakistan’s conventional missile capabilities and operational readiness.

The military has previously highlighted the Fatah-4’s advanced guidance and navigation systems and its ability to operate at low altitude. However, details of the extended version’s range, propulsion, warhead and other technical specifications have not been publicly released.

Defence analysts have speculated that the new version could have a significantly greater range than the original system, but Pakistan has not officially confirmed a specific figure.

ISPR said the latest test was aimed not only at demonstrating the missile’s extended-range capability but also at validating improvements to various subsystems.

The emphasis on accuracy and survivability reflects Pakistan’s stated effort to develop conventional precision-strike systems capable of engaging targets at greater distances while improving their ability to survive hostile defensive systems.

The latest launch comes amid continuing security tensions in South Asia, where Pakistan and India maintain extensive conventional missile capabilities.