Pakistan Launches NASR Missile Again To Counter Indian Cold Start Doctrine

Pakistan has successfully carried out another launch of the Nasr – the strategic missile to counter Indian cold start doctrine. Pakistan’s short-range surface-to-surface missile, Nasr was test fired in a salvo of four missiles on January 24 and as single shots on January 28, 31 as a part of Army Strategic Forces Command training exercise.

The exercise included a training test on January 24, when the short-range surface-to-surface missile was fired in a salvo of four missiles, and single shots fired on January 28 and 31.

According to the Inter-Services Public Relations, the second stage of this exercise was aimed at testing the “extreme in-flight manoeuvrability” of the missile. The missile is capable of destroying by assured penetration, any currently available BMD [Ballistic Missile Defence] system in our neighbourhood or any other system under procurement or development.

The launch was witnessed by Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Zubair Mahmood Hayat, the director general of the Strategic Plans Division, commander of Army Strategic Forces Command, chairman of NESCOM, senior officers from the Army Strategic Forces Command and scientists, engineers belonging to strategic organisations.

“General Hayat welcomed the participating troops, scientists and engineers on “achieving yet another milestone of national significance towards Pakistan’s strategic deterrence capability”, the press release stated.

ISPR had first called the 70-kilometer range Nasr missile as “a high precision, shoot and scoot Weapon System with the ability of in-flight manoeuvrability”.

Pakistan had enlisted the Nasr missile in its strategic arsenal in 2017 and its first training launch was held in July 2017. Army Chief Gen Qamar Bajwa had on that occasion said: “Nasr has put cold water on Cold Start.”

Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawat has officially confirmed the presence of Nasr which was introduced in April 2017 as a response to India’s Cold Start doctrine. The tactical nuclear weapon system, it is said, is meant to deny space to India for current conflict below the nuclear threshold.

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