Babur cruise missile
| Babur cruise missile/Hatf VII | |
|---|---|
| Type | Medium-range subsonic cruise missile |
| Place of origin | Pakistan |
| Service history | |
| In service | Babur–I (August 11, 2005) Babur–II (December 14, 2016) Babur–III (January 9, 2017) |
| Used by |
Babur–I/Babur–II Army Strategic Forces Command (ASFC) Babur–III Naval Strategic Forces Command (NSFC) |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | National Defence Complex (NDC) |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | <1,500 kg (payload >300 kg) |
| Length | 6.25 m (7 m with booster) |
| Diameter | 0.52 m |
| Warhead | Conventional or nuclear |
|
|
|
| Engine |
Turbofan (Solid-fuel rocket booster during launch) |
| Wingspan | 2.67 m |
| Propellant | Solid fuel (booster rocket) Liquid fuel (jet engine) |
|
Operational
range |
Babur–I: 700 km Babur–II: 750 km Babur–III: 450 km |
| Speed | 880 km/h or 550 mph (Mach 0.8) |
|
Guidance
system |
INS, TERCOM/DSMAC, GPS, GLONASS |
|
Launch
platform |
Transporter Erector Launcher (TEL) Agosta 90B Khalid-class Submarine |
Babur (Urdu: بابر) (named after the first Mughal Emperor Zahir-ud-Din Babur), also designated Hatf VII, is the inter-services and joint cruise missile weapon systems in service with the Pakistan Army since 2005, and Pakistan Navy since 2017.
Babur is the first land attack cruise missile (LACM) and the first submarine-launched cruise missile (SLCM) to be developed, manufactured and operationalized by Pakistan. Launched from ground-based mobile transporter erector launchers (TELs), the Babur can be armed with both conventional or nuclear warheads and has a reported range of 700 km (430 mi). The missile is designed to avoid radar detection and penetrate enemy air defences. Serial production of the Babur started in October 2005.
An enhanced version of the missile has a range of 700 km is "low-flying, terrain hugging missle with certain stealth features" and can be deployed against both land and sea targets. A submarine launched version of the missile named Babur-III was launched on January 9, 2017 from an undisclosed location in the Indian Ocean.
Pakistan claims to have developed the Babur in response to alleged reports that India was planning to acquire Patriot missiles from the US, in order to set up a ballistic missile defense system to counter Pakistan's arsenal of ballistic missiles.
The Babur's airframe is made up of a tubular fuselage, with a pair of folded wings attached to the middle section and the empennage at the rear along with the propulsion system. Propelled by a jet engine (either turbofan or turbojet), the Babur has a maximum speed of approximately 550 mph. On launch, a booster rocket provides additional thrust to accelerate the missile away from the launch vehicle. After the launch the wings unfold, the booster rocket is jettisoned and the jet engine started.
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Wikipedia