Pakistan Puts Submarine-Launched Babur-3 Cruise Missile Through 1st Fire Test

Pakistan has performed an initial fire test of a nuclear-capable cruise missile launched from a submarine at an undisclosed site in the Indian Ocean, Hindustan Times reported Tuesday.

The Pakistani military said in a statement that it test-fired the Babur-3 missile with a range of up to 280 miles and that it expects the weapon system to provide the country with a “second strike capability.”

Babur-3 is a maritime-based variant of the Babur-2 ground-launched cruise missile and has guidance and navigation tools, underwater controlled propulsion systems and stealth platforms that work to help the missile evade aerial and radar defenses.

Pakistan’s naval force has configured its Agosta 90B-class submarines to launch cruise missiles, the report added.