A new short range ballistic missile Hatf-IX (Nasr) has recently been added to the Pakistan’s nuke club. Nasr, with a range of 60km and a quick response system, can carry four warheads, has high accuracy and ensures deterrence in evolving scenario. It was part of short-range surface-to-surface ballistic missile (SRBMs) and its medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM) is expected to be completed in three cycles by July of this year. A short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) is a ballistic missile with a range of about 1,000km or less. It should be noted that Nasr is a modern missile, developed considering the evolving threats to ballistic missiles. Shaheen-IA is developed keeping the same threat in mind, and so will be the future ballistic missiles of Pakistan.
Nasr is a significant addition as it is designed to defeat all eminent anti-tactical missile defence systems. Small range nuclear warheads are not meant to wipe out cities. Instead their role is to wipe out enemy bases or a strategic point which is too hard to be conquered. This 60km range battlefield missile is meant to be used with tactical nukes – not strategic – to stop advancing armour division’s entering into the country. Many strategic planners in New Delhi have long been of the opinion that there exist loopholes in the Pakistani deterrence at shorter ranges which can be exploited in the Indian Cold Start Doctrine to capture Pakistani territory. Therefore, this missile is considered to be more deadly then longer range missiles because as it lowers the nuclear threshold (for tactical nukes). The Americans had at one point deployed similar short range battlefield nukes in East-Europe against the Soviets – to underscore the will to go all out nuclear against a larger invading force. It is called an effective deterrence.
The Nasr is more likely to be utilised as a means of targeting static Indian military infrastructure close to the border with conventional warheads – a more accurate substitute to an MBRL.
F Z KHAN
Islamabad
