Pakistan on Tuesday performed a successful flight test of the country’s first indigenously developed air-to-air missile, Fa’az, “marking another significant milestone in the advancement of national aerospace and defence capabilities”, the military’s media wing said.

According to a statement by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the missile is equipped with a state-of-the-art terminal guidance system and can engage enemy targets at longer ranges.

“Fa’az will significantly enhance [the] operational flexibility of [the] Pakistan Air Force, further strengthening the country’s overall defence posture. The successful flight test underscores the technical maturity, innovation and self-reliance achieved by Pakistan’s defence industry,” the statement added.

The launch was witnessed by senior military officers, scientists and engineers involved in the development of the system, the ISPR said.

It added that President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir and the service chiefs congratulated the scientists.

Meanwhile, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi issued a statement congratulating the nation on the test.

“Our scientists and engineers have once again achieved a remarkable feat that makes the nation proud,” the ministry quoted him as saying. “The successful test of the indigenously developed Fa’az missile marks a significant advancement in the field of defence.”

We are all proud of Pakistan’s distinguished scientists and engineers.”

Pakistan successfully tested two surface-to-surface missiles last month; the Fatah-2 extended range (ER) hypersonic ballistic missile was tested on Oct 13, and the indigenously developed extended version of the Fatah-IV ground-launched cruise missile was tested a week before that.

ISPR said that the Fatah-2 ER is equipped with advanced navigation and state-of-the-art avionics.

“It is capable of engaging targets with high precision and defeating [the] enemy’s missile defence systems due to its unique trajectory and manoeuvrability features,” it added.

For Fatah-IV ER, ISPR said: “Equipped with advanced avionics and state-of-the-art navigational aids, the weapon system is capable of engaging targets at extended ranges with high precision and lethality.”

It noted that the test “also validated additional technical parameters of various sub-systems incorporated for improved accuracy and enhanced survivability”.

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