- Jammu (PTI) - In an apparent
bid to enhance its capability of carrying nuclear warheads, Pakistan has
started a speedy programme of missile production at its most vital defence
installation near Islamabad recently, according to highly placed intelligence
sources here.
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- Pakistan's missile factory, built with Chinese help,
has so far produced eight HATF-I, HATF-II and HATF-III during last one-and-a-half
years at Fatehgunj, about 52 km from Islamabad, the sourres told PTI here
today.
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- Chinese technocrats and experts, the sources said, have
been working on guidence and control systems, solid fuel and M-4X missile
variants, reportedly supplied by Beijing to Islamabad, in the missile complex.
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- Most of these missiles, namely Ghuri, Shaheen and HATF-I,
produced by the factory were based on the dynamics of M-9 and M-11 technology,
the sources said.
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- Entire nuclear and missile technology was assisted by
China and based on clandestine procurement of technology and material from
dubious sources, they said.
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- Due to lack of appropriate guidence system, Pakistan's
indigenous missile development programme suffered setbacks, the sources
said and added as a result Pakistan went in for surface-to-surface M-11
missiles from China.
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- So far Pakistan possesses 110 HAFT-I, 90 HAFT-II (M-11),
six Shaheen-I and two Shaheen-II, the sources said and added that HAFT-I
has a range of 60 to 100 km, followed by HAFT-II with 250-300 km range
and pay load carrying capacity of 800 kg, Shaheen-I with a range 700-750
km and Shaheen-II with 2000 km range, the sources said.
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- Not only this, Pakistan also possesses 12 to 15 small
to big missile launchers, the sources said and added these have been moved
to very specific areas from where Indian cities have been closely mapped.
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- Around June 1999, a China-Pakistan deal was finalised
at US Dollar 700 million, particularly for technology transfer, they said.
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- A team of nuclear scientists, engineers and other skilled
personnel were sent for training in assembly and use of missiles to Beijing
recently in this connection, they said.
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- HATF-III test fired by Paskitan towards the end of 1999
was a version of M-9 missile of Chinese origin assembled in Fatehjung missile
factory, the sources said.
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- Similarly, HATF-I missile with a range of 80 km has also
been test fired by Pakistan over 17 times but the weapon apparently lacked
a suitable guidance system, they said.
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- HATF-II, which is said to have a range of 300 km, is
comparable to M-XII missiles, the sources said.
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- As per the defence experts here, Pakistan was pursuing
a programme to carry nuclear warheads for delivery through ballistic missiles.
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