Ghauri-II

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Ghauri-II/Hatf-VA
Type MRBM
Place of origin Pakistan Pakistan
Service history
Used by Pakistan
Production history
Designer Khan Research Laboratories (KRL)
Manufacturer Khan Research Laboratories (KRL)
Specifications
Weight 17,800 kg
Length 18.00 m
Diameter 1.35 m
Warhead 1200 kg conventional or nuclear
Engine Single-stage liquid propellant rocket motor
Propellant Liquid fuel
Operational
range
 1500-1800 km[1][2]
Guidance
system
 Inertial guidance system (INS), GPS satellite guidance
Launch
platform
 Transporter erector launcher (TEL)

The Ghauri-II (Urdu:غوری-اا; official codename: Hatf–VA Ghauri–II), is a surface-to-surface medium range guided ballistic missile designed and developed by the Khan Research Laboratories. It is a single-stage liquid fuel missile system and a longer ranged variant of the Ghauri-I. The development of Ghauri-II took place in a direct response to India's Agni II.[3] It was developed by increasing the length of the motor assembly and using improved propellants.[4][5]

The Ghauri–II enjoyed distinction of being Pakistan's longest range missile until its limit was exceeded by the successful launch of the Shaheen-II which was tested in 2004.[6]

Design

The Ghauri-II missile has a maximum range of 2,000 km (1,200 mi). It is 18.0 m in length, has a diameter of 1.35 m and a launch weight of 17,800 kg. Its payload is a single separating warhead weighing 1,200 kg, or as low as 750 kg for use at its maximum range.[4] This may used to carry a 250 kg warhead of a 15 to 30 kt yield nuclear, HE or sub-munition warhead. The missile uses a single-stage liquid propellant rocket motor.

The Ghauri-II design improves accuracy by an employing mechanisms that spin the single booster stage and warhead combination approximately 10 seconds before the termination of the powered flight phase at 110 seconds.[7] At this point, the warhead is then separated from the booster stage to fly on a re-entry trajectory that remains stable to its target, greatly enhancing the missile's accuracy. With the addition of GPS targeting the warhead accuracy is further enhanced.[7]

Like most Pakistani missile systems, transporter erector launcher (TEL) vehicles are used to transport and launch Ghauri II.

Developments and tests

The development of Ghauri-II took place in 1993 at the Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) after the government issued orders and released funds for it.[8] After heavy reengineering and subsequent reverse engineering led the improvements of Ghauri-II, and synergizing expertise from various strategic organizations allowed the Ghauri project to continue into Ghauri II and III missiles, whose ranges were intended to reach more deeply into India.[9] Unlike Ghauri-I, the development on the second variant was kept extremely secretive and very few officials, including its chief designer, knew about the existence of the program.[9] The Ghauri-II was launched in a direct response to India's development on Agni-II and the project took place at the KRL.[3] The development on Ghauri-II remains extremely secretive and very few details were made to public in 1999.[9]

On April 11, 1999, India announced to the hold the tests for the Agni-II, prompting Pakistan's reaction. On 14 April 1999, the Ghauri-II was test fired from a Tilla-Jagun Test Range.[10] Pakistani news media inccorrectly broadcast the news that it was a re-test of the Ghauri-I; this was contradicted by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on 14 April 1999.[10] The Ghauri-II was launched at 1035hrs local time (0535 GMT) and its spaceflight hit a target 1150km away near the coastal town of Jiwani on the Balochistan coast.[3][10] The test was described as "successful", and the missile had taken the spaceflight more than 620mi (997.93km) in 12 minutes after being fired from a site in the central province of Punjab.[11]

The Ghauri-II enjoyed its distinction of being the longest range missile in service with Pakistan military, until its limit was exceeded by the successful launch of the Shaheen-II in 2004.[12]

See also

Related developments

References

  1. ↑ http://www.missilethreat.com/missilesoftheworld/id.52/missile_detail.asp
  2. ↑ http://www.strategycenter.net/research/pubID.47/pub_detail.asp
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Missiles of the World
  5. ↑ Pakistan’s Long Range Ballistic Missiles: A View From IDEAS
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Federation of American Scientists
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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