Summary
The Ghauri-III (Urdu:غورى–ااا) was a codename of a rocket program to developed land-based intermediate range ballistic missile to address the goal of achieving the ground-based second strike capability for Pakistan.[1]
| Ghauri-III | |
|---|---|
| Type | IRBM |
| Place of origin |  Pakistan |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) |
| Designed | 2003–2004 |
| Specifications (Technical data) | |
| Maximum firing range | 3,500 km (2,200 mi) |
| Warhead | HE |
| Engine | Two-stage |
| Propellant | Liquid-propellant |
Operational range | 2,175 kilometres (1,351 mi) |
Guidance system | Inertial, Terminal, |
Launch platform | Silo |
Development began with a plan of operating range of 3,000 km (1,900 mi) with a unique design led by the Kahuta Research Laboratories (KRL) in 1999 but the program, which remained in design phases, was scaled down to its full termination in 2005.: 245 [2]
Background edit
Development on Ghauri-III with a quest of attaining the ground based second strike capability began in 1999 with Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) leading the rocketry program.: 245 [2] Its propellant technology influenced from Taepodong-1 of North Korea– which Pakistan learned in 1993–95.: 245 [2] The Ghauri program ran in parallel with the Shaheen program to attain the second strike capability, reaching as far as to eastern India.[3]
In 1999, the KRL completed several trials for its designed rocket engine, and moved towards warhead designs.[4] Without the North Korean contribution, the Ghauri-III is said to be suffered with many setbacks and expensive trial and error to make the program feasible due to KRL is a nuclear physics laboratory not a rocket engineering firm.: 245 [2] Delays in developing an ingenious liquid-fuel propellant also contributed in setting the program backward in a race with Shaheen program.: 246 [2] Besides the successful rocket engine testing, no further tests were carried out despite many rumors put upfront.: 246 [2][5]
In 2004, the Strategic Plans Division (SPD) overtook the program from KRL and became its program manager which scaled the program.: 246 [2]
About its existence, Abdul Qadeer Khan– its chief designer– provided testament in an article written in The News International in 2011.[6] In 2012, its existence was officially recognized with Pakistani government officials noted that the program was cancelled due to KRL's inability to make the program feasible on time as oppose to Shaheen which succeeded in producing the Shaheen-III in 2015.: 246 [2][7][8]
See also edit
- Related developments
- Related lists
References edit
- ^ AP (4 June 2004). "Pakistan test fires medium-range missile". NBC News. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Khan, Feroz (7 November 2012). Eating Grass: The Making of the Pakistani Bomb. Stanford University Press. ISBN 978-0-8047-8480-1. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
- ^ Bokhari, Eas. "Ghauri" (Hatf -V) and World Missiles". defencejournal.com/. Defense Journal, 1998. Archived from the original on 21 February 1999. Retrieved 11 March 2015.
- ^ Pakistan Completes 'Trials' of Ghauri-III Missile Engine Islamabad The News 30 September 1999 page 10 -- Pakistan has successfully completed the trials of Ghauri-III missile's engine at Kahuta Research Laboratories. Ghauri-III would cover the range of over 3,000 kilometres.
- ^ news agencies (21 May 2004). "Pak Ready To Launch 3,500-km Ghauri-III Missile In June". India Today,2004. India Today. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 11 March 2015.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - ^ Khan, Abdul Qadeer (28 May 2011). "Musharraf stopped funds for Ghauri-III missile saying: "Do you want to destroy Israel"". News International, 2011. News International. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 11 March 2015.
- ^ "Tipu - Pakistan Missile Special Weapon Delivery Systems". Federation of American Scientists.
- ^ "Tipu - Pakistan Missile Special Weapons Delivery Systems". GlobalSecurity. Archived from the original on 3 August 2017.
External links edit
- FAS.org news report - Ghauri-III engine trials completed
- MissileThreat.com article on Ghauri-3