Missiles of Pakistan

Pakistan’s missile arsenal forms an important part of its defense strategy for offsetting the significant conventional military advantages of its main rival, India. Pakistan’s arsenal consists primarily of mobile short- and medium-range ballistic missiles, but it is also making strides in its cruise missile capability. Pakistan’s combined strategic forces allows it to target almost any point in India, and its leadership is now developing more advanced technologies such as multiple independent reentry vehicles (MIRV) to complicate India’s emerging missile defense efforts. Pakistan has received significant technical assistance from China on its nuclear and missile programs, and evidence also strongly indicates close cooperation with both North Korea and Iran on the development and proliferation of these systems.