Pakistan’s first home-made Fa’az missile passes flight testPakistan

Fa’az is a beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile developed by the Air Weapons Complex of the National Engineering and Scientific Commission, and marketed through Global Industrial and Defence Solutions, the state-owned enterprise representing the commission. It was officially revealed in 2023, and the test this week is its first confirmed successful flight trial.

According to the military statement, the missile is fitted with a state-of-the-art terminal guidance system and is capable of engaging enemy aerial targets at longer ranges. The version fired in the test used an imaging infrared seeker, defence analysts reported, while a radar-guided version is also under development.

Officials have not disclosed the missile’s maximum range, speed, or the date on which it might enter operational service with the air force. Those details remain undisclosed, and the statement gave no timeline for induction into the fleet.

Senior officers of the armed forces, along with scientists and engineers involved in the programme, witnessed the launch. President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and the chiefs of the armed forces congratulated the scientists and engineers on the test, according to reports of the announcement.

The test follows other recent missile trials by Pakistan’s armed forces, including an extended-range Fatah-2 test in October. Defence analysts say a home-grown air-to-air missile would reduce dependence on imported weapons for the JF-17 fleet, which forms a central part of the air force’s combat strength.

For Pakistan’s defence industry, the successful trial is being presented as a milestone in self-reliance. Whether Fa’az moves quickly from testing to service will depend on further trials, but the air force has described this first flight test as a significant step in the country’s aerospace and defence capabilities.