Pakistan: Plugging the Cold Start gap
Posted on 27. Apr, 2011 by S M Hali in Pakistan Forces
By S. M. Hali
Pakistan has successfully conducted the first flight test of the newly developed Short Range Surface to Surface Multi Tube Ballistic Missile Hatf IX (Nasr), much to the chagrin of Indian defence planners, as is evident from the Indian Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA) report: ‘Pakistan: Making Sense Of Nasr Ballistic Missile Test – Analysis’. The IDSA report tries to nullify the analyses by Pakistani experts. Undoubtedly, Nasr has been developed to add deterrence value to Pakistan’s Strategic Weapons Development programme at shorter ranges. With a range of 60 km, Nasr carries both tactical nuclear and high-explosive conventional warheads. It is powered by a high-thrust single-stage solid-propellant rocket motor. Nasr's launch platform is a double-tube transporter erector launcher (TEL) capable of carrying two missiles with high accuracy and shoot-&-scoot attributes. This quick response system addresses the need to deter evolving threats. The test of Nasr is a very important milestone in consolidating Pakistan’s strategic deterrence capability at all levels of the threat spectrum.
This is a new and a very significant development because this latest missile system is in the category of tactical nuclear weapons. It is a low yield battlefield deterrent, which is capable of deterring and inflicting punishment on mechanized forces comprising armoured brigades and divisions. This was made possible because of miniaturizations to smallest level and it forecloses the Indian Army’s options of Cold Start and proactive operations. Indian military used to perceive gaps in the Pakistani side and was obsessed with finding space for limited war under the nuclear umbrella. Thus it was amassing conventional weapons and had developed its “Cold Start” doctrine to be able to deal Pakistan a telling blow before it could retaliate with its nuclear weapons.
India has been testing its Cold Start doctrine in various war games and military exercises including the current Corps level Exercise “Vijayi Bhav”, in the Rajasthan desertand at the same time has been browbeating Pakistan. However, Nasr or “help” which is also the title of one of the Quranic verses, will ably plug that gap and ensure that India is deterred from any such adventurism. With the development of Nasr, Indian planners will now think twice before considering options of limited war. Indians start beating their chests and crying hoarse with their battle cries prematurely. In May 1998 too after conducting nuclear tests at Pokhran, Indian defence planners as well as politicians were so convinced that Pakistan did not have nuclear weapons capability that they became ballistic with their threats and jingoism, forcing Pakistan’s hand in crossing the nuclear threshold and coming out of the closet. Having learnt no lessons, the previous Indian Army Chief, General Deepak Kapoor had announced that “the time has come for teaching Pakistan a lesson”. General Deepak Kapoor had become blinded by the so called success of Indian war games testing Cold Start and thus he had broken into rhetoric.
A few details of Nasr, gleaned from overt sources; it is akin to a guided artillery shell in the form of Surface to Surface Missile (SSM). The Soviets had developed and used various types of such missiles as a propellant and heavily fortified fixed installation target clearance weapon system in the battlefield. Nasr however can successfully target armoured and mechanized columns on the move with nearly pinpoint accuracy. Judging from the test flight video released, Nasr appears to follow a depressed trajectory rather than typical ballistic trajectory which makes a lethal combination, when married to the high maneuverability, high speed and short range; which will cause nightmares and throw a challenge to any Anti Ballistic Missile system.
Comparing Nasr to the earlier versions of Hatf 1B and Hatf 1A, Nasr appears to be more stabilized in its flight. The use of terminal guidance enables the Nasr to be projected as a quick response precision guided ballistic missile with extremely low circular error of probability (CEP) to take the heavily defended targets in a 60 KM radius. Its quick reaction time, low CEP, terminal guidance and lethal warhead makes it far superior to a simple unguided multi barrel rocket launcher system. The test fire and diameter of the warhead suggest that Pakistan has achieved the capability of deploying sub-kiloton yield tactical nuclear warheadappropriate for a sub-kiloton nuclear detonation, which if boosted with 4-5 g of tritium, could yield a 10-20 KT nuclear detonation. When produced in bulk, it will wreak havoc in any battle field scenario, penetrating the fog of war and striking a telling blow upon any belligerent.
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5 Responses to “Pakistan: Plugging the Cold Start gap”
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S M Hali
philip andrew travers
29. Apr, 2011
Email not current.Once again I visitthis site and much ischanging rapidly.Asan Australian, a bit scarey,but thenagain, not that I have ever greated much of a problem forPakistanis ,generally.And India, and is population I cannot talk to individually.So in one way,whilst other matters gong on,Ireally don't know what to make of it, as a development, but, as anAustralian I hope soon that Government Statements become more profoundly mature and the present senility of Policy alerts Australians to the opt out reality that has been our policy by opting in like Pakistanis are just and occasionally grumpier cricket fan or three,or exponential etc.As I try to point out ,matters about One-Trick Pony technologies.As a patriotic Pakistani.Do you think having this powerful system for war posturing or Defense should be its common and highest use.!?If you had somehow compressed wire or rope that would fire of at a distance,could you speculate,estimate, how far that would travel.That is bridge support or electric coverage!?And even in a rainbow of stringed out material.I am staying individual on all this.My attitude is changing.I do not wish any one individual the deceits Australians suffer.Whilst I may have other feelings about thisdevelopment, my sense tells me I am commenting to a adult that is rsponsible.Hope others show the same respect.
philip andrew travers
29. Apr, 2011
You can wipe the last one out if you like,it was plainly close to unintelligible and creating the wrong emphasis.Spelling and things going on outside as I typed that reduced its meaning significantly.
Rabbit
29. Apr, 2011
That's OK Travers, as an Aussie myself and a regular here, I think you were understandable although one wonders if you were born in Australia at least until the second one.
I'd rather see them beat us at cricket too, until we return to being the once decent and honest world citizen we were percieved to be.
I do have an opinion a little stronger. I see that India is an aggressor. It makes sense given it's increasing ties to the USA and Israel, the two most aggressive and terrorist states on earth. Pakistan has its problems, a large segment of the population are backwards and reactionary and they have a massively corupt government and this as well as their military and largely their intelligence apparatus are subservient to the USA. They are also both used as a staging area for mucvh of the fake Muslim terrorism created by the CIA and MOSSAD, and slandered endlessly about supposedly being sympathetic to terrorism. However they are not the aggressor regards India, although they may be expected to use any such advantage on behalf of Kashmir if they were. They are facing a belligerent and aggressive India who has been better armed for some time and I for one applaud the development of this missile system.
Go Pakistan.
babur
29. Apr, 2011
Pakistan's problem is Islam and it is bound to have Islamic type end as people and a country. Its end time for Islam as muslim scriptures have said. And at the end a Hindu/Qafir country would become the reason of its demise and that is Pakistan. Look at his achievements. Sleeping with USA for money that backfired? Protection through ISI secret force that backfiresd too deceiving Pakistanees and Pakistan to strengthen Islam to blame USA for their misfortunes. Hard to understand this game, God 's ways are misterious who gives missiles to Pakistan to destroy it, gives Drony friend to destroy it and take its sovereignty Allah gave. Pakistan is bullshit its ought to destroy its people and Islam. That is what it is happening, smile…
Moby
06. Dec, 2011
Well I am glad to see, for the first time, the peace loving Australians having a say what goes on and has been going on in the Pakistan-India-Central Asia sector, and the world wide battlefield. The CIA-Mossad-Raw conspiracy to create and support terrorists and the end goals of this conspiracy are not too difficult to see.
Neither am I am not in favor of ISI all the way. But I believe they are not the aggressors but are merely responding to whats going on around them.
Regarding Australia agreeing to sell yellowcake to India, Pakistan's demand for the same would be justified too since both of them are non-signatories to the NPT.
Babar, your comments and your opinions are as shallow as the point of arguement you are trying to bring up.