Babur (cruise missile)
The Babur (Urdu: بابر; Military designated: Hatf-VII, Translit: Target–7), is an all-weather, subsonic cruise missile developed and designed by the National Defence Complex (NDC) of Pakistan.
| Hatf-VII Babur | |
|---|---|
| Type | GLCM/SLCM/AshM |
| Place of origin | Pakistan |
| Service history | |
| In service | 2010–Present |
| Used by | Pakistan Army (Army Strategic Forces Command) Pakistan Navy (Naval Strategic Forces Command) |
| Production history | |
| Designer | National Defence Complex |
| Designed | 1998–2008 (GLCM) 2001–2018 (SLCM) |
| Manufacturer | National Defence Complex |
| Variants | See variants |
| Specifications (Technical data) | |
| Mass | 1,500 kg (3,300 lb) |
| Length | 6.2 m (20 ft) |
| Diameter | 0.52 m (20 in) |
| Wingspan | 2.50 m (8.2 ft) |
| Maximum firing range | 900 km (560 mi) |
| Warhead | HE/NE |
| Warhead weight | 450 kg (990 lb)–500 kg (1,100 lb) |
| Blast yield | 5 kilotons of TNT (21 TJ)—12 kilotons of TNT (50 TJ) |
| Engine | Turbofan |
| Transmission | Automatic |
| Suspension | WS2500 10WD |
| Propellant | Liquid-propellant (jet engine) Solid-propellant (booster) |
Operational range | Babur-I:700 km (430 mi) Babur-IA: 450 km Babur-II: 750 km (470 mi) Babur-III: 450 km (280 mi; 240 nmi) Harbah: 700 km (430 mi; 380 nmi) Babur-IB: 900 km (560 mi) Harbah export variant: 290 km (180 mi; 160 nmi) |
| Flight altitude | Terrain-following |
| Maximum speed | 0.7 Mach. (subsonic) 990 km/h (620 mph) |
Guidance system | INS, TERCOM/DSMAC, GPS, GLONASS, Terminal, |
| Accuracy | 20 m (66 ft) CEP |
Launch platform | Transporter erector launcher Cruise-missile submarine |
| Transport | TEL, Horizontal launch tube (HLT) |
Codenamed as Babur, its development came as a surprise to the U.S. intelligence in 2005 as they had not expected the Pakistan being able to produce such a capable system, according to United States-based CSIS.
After series of various data acquisition and validation trials, Babur entered first in military service of Pakistan Army in 2010, and evolved into able to launch from submarine, which saw its deployment with the Pakistan Navy in 2018.
According to Pakistani military, SLCM-variant of Babur has provided Pakistan a long-sought "credible sea-based second-strike capability, augmenting existing deterrence."