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Examining the Case for Conventional Deterrence in Pakistan Plus

While the Nasr SRBM is lauded for its value in mitigating attempts at stopping Pakistan from leaning on its nuclear deterrence factor, it does not necessarily compensate for conventional deterrence.

By Bilal Khan · · 8 min read

On January 31, 2019, Pakistan’s Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) announced that the Pakistan Army Strategic Forces Command successfully test-fired its Nasr short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) system.

The tests comprised of a quad-salvo test on January 24th and single-shot tests on January 28th and 31st.

According to the ISPR, the latter tests were for “testing the extreme inflight maneuverability, including the end flight maneuverability,” and that the Nasr could cut-through “any currently available BMD (ballistic missile defence) system in our neighborhood or any other system under procurement / development.”

The Hatf-XI Nasr (“Victory”) SRBM has been in service since at least 2013. It complements Pakistan’s now burgeoning inventory of miniature nuclear warhead-capable munitions, most of which (in terms of types) are land-attack cruise missiles (LACM), which were most recently tested in March 2018.

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