| Babur |
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Country: Pakistan
Type: Cruise missile
Introduction: 2005 |
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The Babur missile is the first cruise missile fielded by Pakistan. It is capable of carrying either conventional or nuclear warheads and has a reported range of 700 km (435 miles). It is reported that it can hit its target with pinpoint accuracy and can be fired from warships, submarines and fighter jets. It is designed to avoid radar detection and penetrate undetected through a defensive system. The cruise missile is a terrain hugging missile and it has an up-to-date navigation and guidance system, and a high degree of maneuverability. Serial production of Babur started in October 2005.
In 1998, six Tomahawk cruise missiles fired at Taliban bases in Afghanistan by US destroyers mis-fired and landed in Pakistan. It is speculated that Pakistan seized upon the opportunity to reverse-engineer the Tomahawk and develop its own prototype. However, there is no confirmation of this, and the Pakistani missile development company, NESCOM has rejected this theory. Some members of NESCOM have come out saying, off the record, that Pakistan has been working on cruise missiles since 1995.
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| General Information |
| Developed by |
Pakistan |
| Deployed by |
Pakistan |
| Deployment Year |
2005 |
| Platform |
TEL, (under development submarines, surface ships and fighters) |
| Manufacturer |
National Defence Complex (NDC) |
| Dimensions and Performance |
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Length |
6.25 m (with booster 7.0m) |
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Body Diameter |
52cm |
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Wing/Fin span |
2.67 m |
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Launch Weight |
1,440 kg |
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Range |
500 km |
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Speed |
880 km/h |
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Accuracy |
pinpoint accuracy |
| Components |
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Propulsion |
turbojet, a solid-fuel booster |
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Warhead |
Conventional HE, Nuclear |
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Guidance |
GPS, TERCOM , DSMAC, INS |
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