Pakistan launches first indigenous anti-ship cruise missile

KARACHI: Pakistan has achieved another major milestone for self-sufficiency as Global Industrial & Defence Solutions (GIDS) launched its first indigenous anti-ship cruise missile Harbah-NG for exports on the 1st day of IDEAS-2022 at Karachi Expo Center.

The country’s defence industry has been making diligent efforts in maintaining a strong foothold through the best high-end systems to confront different warfare challenges. GIDS is Pakistan’s elite & largest state-owned defence conglomerate engaged in the R&D and production of conventional as well as high-tech systems in the domains of air, land & sea.

HARBAH-NG is an all-weather, ship-launched subsonic anti-ship cruise missile with a range of 290km that can target enemy ships and land-based installations with an accuracy of less than a 10m radius. It has been designed to maintain a low-altitude, terrain-following flight profile which makes it capable of successfully evading the enemy’s countermeasures during the operational mode. The missile has an exceptional modular design, facilitating variations to the warhead, guidance & range capabilities. It is offered in both air & ground-launched variants.

This recent launch has brought Pakistan into the list of a few elite countries in the world capable of selling cruise missile technology in the international market. GIDS is a state-owned organisation operating under the patronage of Joint Staff Headquarters mandated for the exports of defence products in the international market. GIDS has already been successfully exporting bombs, missiles, drones and other security systems to multiple countries from all major regions including the Middle East, Central Asia, Latin America & Africa.

The International Defence Exhibition and Seminar (IDEAS) brings together international manufacturers and suppliers of products and services to explore opportunities for cooperation in the field of defence production through joint ventures, outsourcing, and collaboration.

Over a period of time, IDEAS has turned out to be the region’s major platform for defence systems promotion as it exhibits a wide variety of defence products, ranging from equipment used in third-world countries to the most sophisticated technology from the West.