Pakistan fires Fatah-II: What are ballistic missiles? Does India have them?

India is on high alert after Pakistan escalated attacks following Operation Sindoor. The Pakistan military announced that it has launched “Operation Bunyan ul Marsoos”, translating to firm foundation, against India. For a second night (on Friday) , the neighbouring nation fired a series of drones and missiles at India, according to government sources. It fired a Fatah-II missile, but it was intercepted at Haryana’s Sirsa. It was reportedly aimed at Delhi.

Pakistan’s Fatah-II is an indigenously developed long-range ballistic missile. What are these weapons, and what does India possess? We explain.

What are ballistic missiles?

Ballistic missiles are powered by a rocket or a series of rockets in stages. After this, they follow an unpowered trajectory before descending to hit their intended targets. These missiles carry nuclear or conventional warheads.

They fly higher than artillery rockets and travel farther. They hit the ground with great speed because of gravity’s pull.

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Ballistic missiles are categorised by the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, a Washington-based nonprofit research organisation, by the distance they can travel – short-range, medium-range, intermediate-range and long-range.

Short-range ballistic missiles: They travel less than 1,000 kilometres and are also known as “tactical” ballistic missiles.

Medium-range ballistic missiles: They travel between 1,000 and 3,000 kilometres and are also known as “theatre” ballistic missiles.

Intermediate-range ballistic missiles: The range is between 3,000 and 5,500 kilometres (approximately 1,860-3,410 miles)

Long-range ballistic missiles: They travel more than 5,500 kilometres and are also known as intercontinental or strategic ballistic missiles. Intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) can fly much further than the minimum range.

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What is the range of the Fatah-II ballistic missile?

The Fatah-II is a new entrant in Pakistan’s arsenal and is the successor to Fatah-I. It has a longer range and is more precise.

The rocket is “equipped with state-of-the-art avionics, sophisticated navigation system, and unique flight trajectory,” according to Pakistan. It can hit targets within a 400 km range, and this range allows it to eliminate the enemy’s air defence systems.

The precision of the Fatah-II comes from a combination of inertial and satellite navigation systems.

Fatah-II can carry conventional warheads and is designed to strike military positions and radar installations. It has a terminal guidance system which helps it adjust its path in the final phase of the flight. It uses inertial navigation combined with satellite guidance for mid-course correction, reports The Economic Times.

While India intercepted the missile launched at Delhi, it can take out targets like India’s S-400 air defence systems, according to a report by The Diplomat.

How do ballistic missiles like Fatah-II work?

Ballistic missiles are launched from platforms like silos, mobile land-based launchers, aircraft, ships and submarines.

According to the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, ballistic missiles have three stages of flight. The boost phase, which lasts three to five minutes, starts with the launch and stops when the rocket engine stops firing.

In the midcourse phase, the missile begins to ascend toward the highest point in its trajectory and then starts moving toward the ground. This is the longest phase and can last up to 20 minutes for ICBMs.

The terminal Phase begins when the detached warhead reenters the Earth’s atmosphere and ends upon impact or detonation. During this phase, which can last less than a minute, strategic warheads travel at speeds greater than 3,200 kilometres per hour, according to the research organisation.

What ballistic missiles does India have?

India has several effective ballistic missiles in its arsenal, which it needs against its main rivals, Pakistan and China.

India’s short-range ballistic missiles include Prithvi I and Prithvi II, with a range of 150 km and 350 km, respectively. The Dhanush missile is another short-range, ship-launched ballistic missile and the third variant of the Prithvi missile family.

The Prahaar is a short-range, solid propellant, road-mobile ballistic missile designed for tactical strikes against close-range targets. Agni-I is also a short-range missile which can hit targets up to 700 km.

In the medium range, India boasts of Agni-II, which can travel up to 2,000 km, while the Agni-III is an intermediate-range ballistic missile with a range of 3,000 to 3,500 km. The Agni-IV is an upgrade with a range of 4,000 km.

India also has an ICBM, the Agni-V, with a range of over 5,000 km.

How different are ballistic missiles from cruise missiles?

Cruise missiles are unmanned vehicles that are propelled by jet engines and can be launched from ground, air or sea platforms, according to the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation.

Such missiles are self-guided and use multiple methods to accurately hit the target. These include terrain mapping, GPS and inertial guidance, using motion sensors and gyroscopes to keep the missile on a pre-programmed flight path.

As advanced cruise missiles approach their target, remote operators can use a camera in the nose of the missile to see what the missile sees. This gives them the option to manually guide the missile to its target or to abort the strike.

India’s BrahMos is a supersonic cruise missile and operates near the 3 Mach speed in the cruise phase. The cruising altitude is up to 15 km, and the terminal altitude is as low as 10 metres. The missile carries a conventional warhead weighing 200-300 kg.

With inputs from agencies