ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Air Force has carried out the first flight test of a locally developed air-to-air missile, Fa’az, in a step the military presents as progress towards building advanced airborne weapons at home.
According to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the weapon carries an advanced terminal guidance system and can strike airborne targets from greater distances, giving the air force more flexibility in aerial combat. The military statement did not give a range or name the aircraft used for the trial.
Defence observers believe the version tested was Fa’az-IIR, which uses an imaging infrared seeker to track its target. Figures published by Global Industrial and Defence Solutions (GIDS) put the Fa’az series at a projected range beyond 100 kilometres and a top speed of Mach 3.5, but those are manufacturer specifications, not figures confirmed in the ISPR announcement. A radar-guided variant, known as Fa’az-RF, also exists, and a longer-range Fa’az-2 is reported to be under development.
The missile was developed under the National Engineering and Scientific Commission. Models of the Fa’az-RF and Fa’az-IIR were first shown in public at the International Defence Industry Fair in Istanbul in 2023. Analysts say the test launch was made from a JF-17 fighter, although the military has not confirmed the launch platform.
The development matters because the Pakistan Air Force now depends heavily on imported air-to-air weapons from the United States and China, including the AIM-120 AMRAAM and the PL-15 family. A home-built missile could, over time, lessen that dependence and give Pakistan more freedom to maintain and upgrade its fighter fleet without relying on foreign suppliers.
For now, the test is a first flight trial rather than a declaration that the weapon is in service. Further trials, and any decision on induction, will show how far the programme has progressed.
