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Pakistan successfully conducted a training launch of its surface-to-surface ballistic missile Shaheen-II on August 20, 2024. The Pakistani military announced that the exercise was aimed at training troops, validating various technical parameters, and evaluating the performance of different sub-systems for improved accuracy and enhanced survivability.

The Shaheen-II missile is a key component of Pakistan’s defense strategy, capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear warheads up to a range of 1,500 kilometers. This range places numerous strategic targets within the reach of Pakistan’s missile forces, underscoring the importance of this test in maintaining and enhancing the country’s deterrent capabilities.

The training launch was observed by senior officers from the Strategic Plans Division and Army Strategic Forces Command, along with scientists and engineers from strategic organizations. Their presence highlighted the importance of the event in Pakistan’s ongoing efforts to ensure the reliability and effectiveness of its strategic weapon systems.

“The training launch was aimed at training of troops, validating various technical parameters and performance evaluation of different sub-systems incorporated for improved accuracy and enhanced survivability,” the Pakistani army stated, emphasizing the comprehensive nature of the test and its role in enhancing the nation’s military readiness.

In response to the successful launch, President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Chairman Gen. Sahir Shamshad Mirza, and the chiefs of the armed services all extended their congratulations to the scientists and engineers involved. Their statements reflect the high level of importance that Pakistan places on its missile program as a cornerstone of its national defense strategy.

Pakistan has successfully tested Shaheen-II with a range of 2000 km 🚀🇵🇰

• Parameters Tested:

– Various technical parameters.
– Performance evaluation of different sub-systems incorporated for improved accuracy & enhanced survivability. pic.twitter.com/Y0KRiDzkLT

— Pakistan Strategic Forum (@ForumStrategic) August 20, 2024

The successful test comes against a backdrop of long-standing tensions between Pakistan and its neighbor India, both of which are nuclear-armed states. The history of nuclear development in South Asia is marked by a fierce rivalry that has, at times, brought the two countries to the brink of conflict.

India first entered the nuclear club in 1974, a move that significantly altered the security dynamics of the region. This development prompted Pakistan to accelerate its nuclear program in the 1980s, during a time when it was a key ally of the United States in the first Afghan war against the Soviet Union. Although Pakistan’s nuclear ambitions were an open secret, it was not until 1998, in response to a series of Indian nuclear tests, that Pakistan officially declared its nuclear capability with six successful tests in the Chaghi district near the Afghanistan-Iran border.

The nuclear tests conducted by both nations in 1998 raised global concerns about the potential for nuclear conflict in South Asia, given the deep-seated hostilities between the two countries. These tensions are compounded by the ongoing dispute over the Kashmir region, a flashpoint that has sparked several wars and numerous military skirmishes between India and Pakistan since their independence from British rule in 1947.

Today, both nations continue to invest heavily in their nuclear arsenals. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Pakistan is estimated to have between 90 and 110 nuclear warheads, while India possesses between 80 and 100. This parity in nuclear capabilities has led to a delicate balance of power in the region, with both countries adopting a doctrine of “minimum credible deterrence.”

The successful test of the Shaheen-II missile is a clear demonstration of Pakistan’s commitment to maintaining this balance and ensuring its defense posture remains robust in the face of any potential threats. As both countries continue to develop and refine their nuclear arsenals, the importance of such tests in ensuring the reliability and effectiveness of these strategic weapons cannot be understated.