The Army Rocket Force Command conducted the successful test fire of the indigenously developed Fatah-IV ground-launched cruise missile on Thursday, the military’s media affairs wing said.

A statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations said that the weapon system was “equipped with advanced avionics and state-of-the-art navigational aids” and “capable of engaging long-range targets with high precision”.

“The training fire was conducted to enhance operational efficiency of the troops and validate technical parameters of various sub-systems incorporated for improved accuracy and enhanced survivability,” it added.

According to the statement, senior officers of the Pakistan Army Rocket Force Command, along with scientists and engineers of the missile’s developing agency, were present during the training fire.

It said that President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf and Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmad Baber Sidhu commended the “successful training fire of Fatah-IV and appreciated the technical prowess, dedication and commitment of all those who contributed towards the successful training fire of the F-series missile”.

Later, the interior ministry released a statement, saying that Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi “congratulates the nation on the successful training test of the locally developed Fatah-IV ground-launched cruise missile”.

“The successful test is a commendable achievement of the scientists and engineers of the Army Rocket Force Command … [it] is an important advancement in the defence sector,” the statement said.

It further quoted Naqvi as saying: “I congratulate the scientists and engineers. I am proud of the scientists and engineers. Pakistan’s defence is impregnable.”

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said the test firing of the missile marked “another significant milestone in strengthening the country’s indigenous defence capabilities and strategic deterrence”.

The development comes less than three weeks after the Army Rocket Force Command conducted the successful training launch of the indigenously developed Fateh-II missile system.

In September 2025, the Pakistan Army had also successfully conducted the training launch of the cruise missile Fatah-IV at a range of 750 kilometres.