Ababeel (missile)

Ababeel Missile (Urdu: أبابيل; lit. Ababeel) is a surface-to-surface medium-range ballistic missile developed by Pakistan. It is "aimed at ensuring survivability of Pakistan's ballistic missiles in the growing regional Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) environment", in response to the Indian Prithvi and Ashwin BMD systems.[2]

This article is about Pakistani MRBM. For Iraqi SRBM, see Ababil-100.
Ababeel Missile
TypeMIRV surface-to-surface missile ballistic missile
Place of originPakistan
Service history
Used byStrategic Plans Division
Production history
Produced2017–present
Specifications
Height21.5 m
Enginesolid-fuel[1]
Operational
range
2,200 kilometres (1,400 mi)[1]
Launch
platform
TEL

The missile has length of 21.5 meters and a diameter of 1.7 meters and is designed to carry both conventional and nuclear warheads, including multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles (MIRV), over a maximum range of 2,200 kilometres (1,400 mi).[3][4][5] As such, it would be Pakistan's first missile with this capability. It can carry total 1,500 kg ( 3,307 lb) warhead , which consists of three standard warheads of 500 kg ( 1102.3 lb) each or 5 of 300 kg ( 661.4 lb) or 8 maximum Warheads weighing 185 kg (408 lb) .

Ababeel is said to be a development of the Shaheen-III airframe and solid-fuel motors, but with a payload fairing of enlarged diameter to accept the MIRV warhead . The second stage is also lengthened.[6] If it's really the development of Shaheen-3 missile then the warhead carrying capacity is increased but the range is decreased from 2,750 km ( 1,709 mi ) to 2,200 km ( 1,400 mi).

The first publicly announced test launch was conducted on 24 January 2017.[7][8][9] As of June 2017 no missiles were thought to be operationally deployed.[1]

The missile's name of 'ababeel' or "swallow" may be a reference to a pre-Islamic event during the Year of the Elephant.[10] An army, described as the 'Owners of the Elephant' for their use of war elephants, sent an army to destroy the Kaaba. Unable to resist their numbers, the people asked for divine help. A flock of birds, or 'ababil', appeared and dropped stones upon the army, destroying them.[11][12] The Ababeel missile may make reference to this on two grounds: a MIRV attack would resemble a flock of falling stones; 'Owners of the Elephant' may also suggest India as the intended target of this missile.[6]

See also

References
  1. "2017 Ballistic and Cruise Missile Threat". National Air and Space Intelligence Center (NASIC). Retrieved 25 September 2017.
  2. "Ababeel" (Press release). ISPR. 24 January 2017.
  3. "Pakistan conducts first flight test of Ababeel surface-to-surface missile". Dawn newspaper. 24 January 2017. Retrieved 24 January 2017.
  4. "Pakistan conducts first flight test of surface-to-surface Ababeel missile". Express Tribune. 24 January 2017. Retrieved 24 January 2017.
  5. Panda, Ankit (25 January 2017). "Why Pakistan's newly flight-tested Multiple Nuclear Warhead-Capable Missile really matters". The Diplomat. Retrieved 25 September 2017.
  6. "Ababeel 1". Global Security.
  7. "Statement for the Record: Worldwide Threat Assessment", Defense Intelligence Agency, US, March 6, 2018.
  8. Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor [@OfficialDGISPR] (24 January 2017). "Pak successfully conducted first flight test of SSM #ABABEEL, Rg 2200 Km. #COAS congrats team and Pak Armed Forces for landmk achievement" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  9. "Pakistan successfully test fires long range missile Ababeel". Pakistan Today. Retrieved 24 January 2017.
    "Pakistan successfully conducts test of ballistic missile 'Ababeel'". The News International. 24 January 2017. Retrieved 24 January 2017.
    "Pakistan conducts successful test of surface-to-surface 'Ababeel' missile". Geo TV. Retrieved 24 January 2017.
    "Pakistan conducts successful test of long range missile Ababeel". Samaa TV. Retrieved 24 January 2017.
  10. Sūrat al-Fīl, "The Elephant" (105:1-5)
  11. Leaman, Oliver, ed. (2008). The Qur'an: an encyclopedia. Routledge. p. 129. ISBN 978-0-415-32639-1.
  12. Mir, Mustansir (2005). "Elephants, Birds of Prey, and Heaps of Pebbles: Farāhī's Interpretation of Sūrat al-Fīl". Journal of Qur'anic Studies. 7 (1): 33–47. doi:10.3366/jqs.2005.7.1.33. JSTOR 25728163.

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