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Hatf-III Ghaznavi
Hatf-III Ghaznavi
Type	SRBM
Place of origin	Pakistan
Service history
In service	2004–Present
Used by	Pakistan Army Army Strategic Forces Command;
Production history
Designer	National Defence Complex
Designed	1994–98
Manufacturer	National Defence Complex
No. built	30 (2017 est.)
Specifications (Technical data)
Mass	4,650 kg (10,250 lb)
Length	8.5 m (330 in)
Diameter	0.8 m (31 in)
Maximum firing range	300 km (190 mi)
Warhead	HE/NE
Warhead weight	700 kg (1,500 lb)
Blast yield	12 kilotons of TNT (50 TJ)—20 kilotons of TNT (84 TJ)
Engine	Single-stage
Transmission	Automatic
Suspension	WS2400 8WD; (With Pakistani military markings)
Propellant	Solid-propellant
Operational; range	290 km (180 mi)–300 km (190 mi)
Guidance; system	Inertial, Terminal
Accuracy	50 m (160 ft) CEP
Launch; platform	Transporter erector launcher (TEL)

The Ghaznavi (Urdu:غزنوی; Military designation: Hatf–III,^[3] Trans.: Target-3), is a land-based short range ballistic missile, currently in military service with the strategic command of the Pakistan Army.

Designed and developed in secrecy by the National Development Complex, it is codenamed as Ghaznavi (a Turkic leader who conquered India) with its military deployment designation as Hatf-III.^[4] It has been deployed in active duty with Pakistan Army since 2012.^[4]

Development

In 1993, Benazir Bhutto's ministry procured the M-11 missile from China but the Chinese missiles are incapable of addressing Pakistan's nuclear deterrence capability against India in an event of conventional standoff.^[5] Any attempts to circumvent the Chinese missiles had failed the missile system entirely that forced the Banzir Bhutto's MoD to eventually design and developed its own program.^: 235^[6]

Codenamed as Ghaznavi, which named after the Turkic warlord Mahmud of Ghazni, the contract was awarded to National Defence Complex which designed the rocket system and the warhead as well.^[4] The program was pursued along with the Abdali program that was being led by the Space Research Commission.^[7] The JS HQ, however, officially Deployed this system as "Hatf–III" (lit. Target-3).^: 235^[6]

In 1995, its rocket engine was successfully tested and was said to be a "major break-through in rocket development in Pakistan".^[8]

Due to its engineering feat, the Western observers had leveled serious allegations of foreign assistance, comparing to former Soviet Scud or Chinese M-11 missiles— though both missiles are not nuclear weapon delivery capable.^: 236^[6]^[7] However, the Pakistani military and civil officials strongly refuted and dismissed the suggestions by quoting that the program was locally designed and indigenously built.^[8]

Operational deployment

After years of expensive trials and errors that started in 1994, Ghaznavi finally took its first spaceflight on 26 May 2002, during the height of the military standoff with India.^[9] The Ghaznavi is a nuclear weapon-delivery capability weapon system that drew World's attention during the tense atmosphere in 2002.^[9]

On 3 October 2003, the Ghaznavi was again successfully test fired from an undisclosed location, which was described by the military as "highly successful".^[10] The Ghaznavi successfully reached its target and has a range of 290km (180mi), making it capable of striking several key targets within neighboring, India.^[10] The Ghaznavi entered in the military service with the strategic command of Pakistan Army in March 2004.^[2] Successive testing continued prior to its actual military deployment with different control system; its third test launched took place on 8 December 2004.^[11]

Subsequent tests were conducted on 9 December 2006 another on 13 February 2008 and 8 May 2010; the 2008 test was believed to have concluded a winter training exercise of Pakistan's strategic command of Pakistan Army.^[2] In May 2012, one more successful test of the missile was conducted as part of a training exercise.^[12] Pakistan successfully carried out night training launch of Ghaznavi missile on August 28, 2019.^[13]

The Ghaznavi is transported through a Pakistan-reversed engineered Chinese WS2400 8WD truck whereas the Pakistani military markings are quite visible.^[14]

References

^ The Military Balance 2017. 14 February 2017. ISBN 9781857439007.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Ghaznavi (Hatf 3)". Missile Threat. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
^ News desk (10 May 2012). "Pakistan successfully tests Hatf III (Ghaznavi) missile". GEO News, 2012. GEO News. Archived from the original on 26 December 2014. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
^ ^a ^b ^c ISPR (10 May 2012). "Pakistan tests Hatf III ballistic missile". The Tribune. Archived from the original on 12 May 2012. Retrieved 10 May 2012.
^ Rajain, Arpit (2005). Nuclear deterrence in Southern Asia China, India, and Pakistan. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage Publications. ISBN 8132103254.
^ ^a ^b ^c Khan, Feroz (7 November 2012). "Pakistan's Missile Quest". Eating Grass: The Making of the Pakistani Bomb (google books). Stanford University Press. p. 500. ISBN 978-0-8047-8480-1. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
^ ^a ^b NTI staff writer. "NDC's secret work". Nuclear Threat Initiatives. Nuclear Threat Initiatives. Archived from the original on 26 December 2014. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
^ ^a ^b Lodhi, PA, Lieutenant-General SFS (6 May 1998). "Pakistan's Missile Technology". Defence Journal, 1998. Archived from the original on 2 November 2015. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
^ ^a ^b Staff correspondence reporter (26 May 2002). "Pak tests Ghaznavi missile amid world condemnation". Rediff on the Net, 2002. Rediff on the Net. Archived from the original on 27 December 2014. Retrieved 27 December 2014.
^ ^a ^b Naqvi, Syed Mohsin (3 October 2003). "Pakistan kicks off missile tests". CNN Producer Syed Mohsin Naqvi contributed to this report. CNN Pakistan, 2003. CNN Pakistan. Archived from the original on 27 December 2014. Retrieved 27 December 2014.
^ Lee, Xiao Feng (8 December 2004). "Pakistan test-fires short-range missile". China Daily, Pakistan. China Daily. Archived from the original on 27 December 2014. Retrieved 27 December 2014.
^ Joshua, Anita (10 May 2012). "Pak tests nuclear-capable Hatf-III ballistic missile". The Hindu. Chennai, India. Archived from the original on 13 May 2012. Retrieved 10 May 2012.
^ "Pakistan successfully carries out night training launch of Ghaznavi missile". The News. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
^ "Pakistan says it successfully test-fired short-range missile". Defense News. Associated Press. 3 February 2021. Retrieved 30 September 2023.