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Pakistan test-fires short-range missile

Nirupama Subramanian

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Saturday test-fired the Hatf 2 Abdali, a short-range ballistic missile.

According to a military statement, the surface-to-surface missile, which has a range of 200 km, has been indigenously developed and can carry "all types" of warheads.

Separately, the Pakistan Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal Tanveer Ahmed Khan said the first squadron of the JF-17 Thunder aircraft would be ready for induction by the end of 2008 after tests and evaluations.

Two of the fighter jets, developed jointly by China's Chengdu Aircraft Industry Corporation and the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex, arrived here earlier this month. The PAF showcased them during the Pakistan Day parade on March 23. China is to deliver six more of the aircraft by the year-end.

China's assurances

In an interaction with Pakistani journalists on Friday, the air chief said China had given "concrete assurances" that there would be no problems with Russia over the re-export of the aircraft's Russian-made engine to Pakistan.

The JF-17 has the Russian RD-93 engine, and in Pakistan, there are fears that India can sabotage the project by exerting influence over Russia to disallow the engine's re-export from China to Pakistan.

Russia too has given confusing signals on the issue, at time saying at it has no objections and at other times that it would not permit it.

Responding to a question, Air Chief Marshal Khan said: "Yes, it's a Russian engine, and yes, the notion about the Indian endeavours in partly true. But one must understand that the engine is a contract between the Chinese and the Russian governments. We are not a party to that contract. Subsequently, the re-exporting of these engines to Pakistan is an issue between Pakistan and the Chinese industry. They have ensured us there would be no impediment in this regard. We hope this engine issue will cease to be an issue."

Pakistan hopes to begin production of the JF-17 at the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex in 2008. The air chief said 15 Thunders would roll out in the first year, and up to double that number in subsequent years.

He refuted suggestions that the Jf-17 was a wholly Chinese effort, and said the PAF had put in "great effort" in developing the aircraft.

By 2015, as many as 200 of the aircraft would have joined the fleet, replacing the ageing fleets of Mirages, F-7s and A-5s, Air Chief Marshal Khan said, adding that it would be a "lethal" platform in the PAF inventory.

But he said a lot remained to be done before the induction of the first Thunders into the Air Force, such as testing its radar, avionics, its ability to carry western weapons, and its delivery in air-to-air, air-to-ground and air-to-sea missions.

The air chief also said that Pakistan and China intended to market the aircraft together.

"Any sensible air force would be looking at this aircraft" which had great potential for a low price-tag. The estimated cost of each JF-17 is between $ 15 - 20 million.

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