Pakistan fired its first submarine-launched cruise missile on Monday, the country’s military said.
The launch of the nuclear-capable Babur-3 missile, which has a range of 450 km and was fired from an undisclosed location in the Indian Ocean, is likely to heighten long-running tension between India and Pakistan.
“Pakistan eyes this hallmark development as a step towards reinforcing the policy of credible minimum deterrence,” the military’s media wing said in a statement.
A spokesman at the Indian defence ministry was not immediately available to comment on the Pakistani missile test.
India successfully test-fired a nuclear-capable, submarine-launched missile in 2008 and tested a submarine-launched cruise missile in 2013.
The Pakistani military said the Babur-3 missile was “capable of delivering various types of payloads and will provide Pakistan with a Credible Second Strike Capability, augmenting deterrence”.
An army spokesman later confirmed the language meant the missile was equipped to carry nuclear warheads.
The Babur-3 is a sea-based variant of the ground-launched Babur-2 missile, which was tested in December. The military said the missile had features such as “underwater controlled propulsion and advanced guidance and navigation”.
