Ghauri (missile)

Ghauri-I/Hatf-V
File:Ghauri I.jpg

Ghauri (Urdu: غوری) is an intermediate-range ballistic missile in development by Kahuta Research Laboratories (KRL) of Pakistan.

The Ghauri has a range of 1,500km-2400 km and can carry both a conventional and non-conventional payload. It is powered by a liquid propellant engine. Pakistan on April 6 successfully carried out test of the surface-to-surface Hatf-V (Ghauri) Missile with a range of 1500-km and a payload of 700 kg. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has congratulated the Pakistani scientists and engineers on their singular achievement. This test represents a step forward in Pakistan's indigenous missile and satellite launch programme. Pakistan has achieved its ," indigenous missile capability through the dedication and commitment of our scientists and engineers." Specifications of surface-to-surface Hatf-V (Ghauri) Missile successfully test fired by Pakistan April 6, 1998:

Missile is named after Sultan Muhammad Ghauri.

File:Ghauri missile mockup.jpg

Ghauri Missile Mockup

Operator

• Pakistan: The military of Pakistan will be the sole operator of the Ghauri.

Ghauri Missile

The Ghauri name is highly symbolic and taken from a Muslim historical figure, Sultan Muhammad (Shahubuddin) Ghauri who defeated the Hindu ruler Prithvi Raj in the last decade of the 12th century.(1) "Prithvi" is the name India has assigned to its Short-Range Ballistic Missiles (SRBMs). Thus, Pakistan is attempting to manipulate public perceptions and show that it has developed a credible response to Indian missile capabilities. In addition, Pakistan has revealed names for three other new missiles, the "Ghaznavi," "Babar," and "Abdali." These three names are also the names of Muslim rulers and warriors.

The Ghauri test launch, April 6, 1998

In August 1997, when Pakistan first announced it was developing the Ghauri, it also referred to the missile as the "MK-III." Following the April 6, 1998 test, the Pakistanis also gave the designator Hatf-5 (or V) to the Ghauri. Hatf ("Deadly" or "Vengeance") is the name Pakistan has given to its domestically produced missiles: Hatf 1/1A (80-100 km / 50-62 miles); Hatf 2 (300 km / 186 miles); and Hatf 3 (600-800 km / 372-496 miles).

Range

Pakistani reports state that the range of the Ghauri is 1,500 km/930 miles. The reports also state that the missile was flight tested on April 6, 1998 to a distance of 1,100 km/682 miles.

However the same reports stated that the missile was fired in a westerly direction from Malute, near the town of Jhelum in north-eastern Pakistan and impacted near Quetta. This is a distance of only some 700 km. According to Professor S.Chandrashekar, a former scientist at the Indian Space Research Organisation, if the missile was fired due east, the effect of the earth's rotation would give it a range of 1,240 km. Fired in a southerly direction (i.e. the likely direction of targets in India), it would reach a range of some 950 km - 1,120 km.

Payload

Pakistani reports state the missile's payload is 700 kg/1,547 lb. A report from January 1998 claims that the missile can carry a nuclear, chemical, or anti-tank warhead. Following the April 6, 1998 test, a reporter asked a Pakistani spokesman whether the Ghauri was nuclear-capable, and the spokesman replied: "My understanding is that anything that flies can carry any payload."

Test Data

Pakistani reports state that the test took place at 0723 hours (local) on 6 April 1998. The launch site was "an army firing range at Malot [or Malute] in Jhelum [or Jelum] District, about 100 km [62 miles] from the federal capital [Islamabad], and [the missile] reached its desired target near Quetta [in Balochistan]....The launching pad was prepared near the tomb of Shahubuddin Ghauri." As such, the test flight was carried out completely overland. No advance notice of the actual flight test appears to have been given by Pakistani authorities. Pakistani sources also report that the flight test lasted 9 minutes and 58 seconds. One report places the total weight of the missile at 16 tons with a fuel load of 14 tons; another report states that "13 tons was fuel, one ton warhead and the rest casing and equipment."

Guidance/Accuracy

Pakistani reports said the test was completed without "any error." The guidance system was "100 percent perfect." According to Pakistan's top missile and nuclear scientist, Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan, "we did consult abroad for the components for the [guidance] system." A report from January 1998 claims the Ghauri "is equipped with the latest guidance system" and has an accuracy (CEP) of 250 m/820 ft at 1,500 km.

Propulsion

In a detailed analysis cited in the May 2 edition of The Hindu newspaper, Professor S.Chandrashekar concluded that a solid fuel missile carrying between 13 and 16 tons of fuel would not achieve the range achieved by the Ghauri. Thus it can be assumed that Ghauri is a liquid fuel system. Professor Chandrashekar also noted that if the Ghauri was indeed developed from the North Korean No Dong 1, its propellant may consist of unsymmetrical dimethyl hydrazine (UDMH) and nitric acid. He calculated that such a combination could be expected to give the Ghauri a specific impulse of some 235 seconds. Given the launch weights quoted above, the missile would achieve a range of some 950 km.

Launcher

The Ghauri missile was test fired from a mobile launcher.

Developer

The Ghauri was reportedly developed by Khan (Kahuta) Research Laboratories, led by Dr. A.Q. Khan.

• List of missiles
• Other missiles currently in the service of Pakistan:
  • Hatf 1A (BRBM)
  • Abdali (SRBM)
  • Ghaznavi (SRBM)
  • Shaheen (IRBM)

External links

• http://www.fas.org/news/pakistan/1998/04/980406-ghauri.htm
• Federation of American Scientists
• The Pakistani Military Consortium
• Ghuari
• Pakistani Defence.com
• PakistaniForces.com: A professional Pakistani forces site giving accurate information on Pakistani armed forces, and providing a professional forum and gallery.