Pak Claims It Tested Ballistic Missile With 450 Km Range, Missile Test Part Of Pakistan’s Military Drill ‘Exercise INDUS’
New Delhi: Pakistan claimed on Saturday that it has conducted a ‘successful’ training launch of the Abdali Weapon System— a surface-to-surface missile with a range of 450 kilometers as part of Ex INDUS. The launch was aimed at ensuring the operational readiness of troops and validating key technical parameters, including the missile’s advanced navigation system and enhanced manoeuvrability features, a statement from Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.
India is fourth, while Pakistan is ranked 12th among 145 countries considered for the annual GFP review. “The training launch was witnessed by the Commander Army Strategic Forces Command, senior officials from the Strategic Plans Division, Army Strategic Forces Command, as well as scientists and engineers from Pakistan’s strategic organisations,” it said.
The statement was quoted by leading Pakistan media houses including the state broadcaster PTV. Meanwhile, according to Military Watch Magazine, India falls among Tier 2 military powers, while Pakistan falls among Tier 3 military powers. India’s military expenditure in 2024 was nearly nine times higher than Pakistan’s, according to a report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), as cited by news agency PTI.
The report highlighted that India, the world’s fifth-largest military spender, increased its defence budget by 1.6%, reaching $86.1 billion, while Pakistan’s military spending stood at $10.2 billion for the same period. In response to India’s series of diplomatic countermeasures following the recent terror attack—including the suspension of visas for Pakistani nationals, orders to reduce diplomatic staff at the Pakistani High Commission, and the closure of the Attari border—Pakistan has been regularly issuing NOTAMs (Notices to Airmen), signalling potential missile test launches in the region.
These notices are being interpreted as a deliberate show of force amid escalating tensions between the two nations. Since the Pahalgam terror attack, Pakistan has issued multiple NOTAMs signalling missile test activity, though none have materialized. The first NOTAM was issued on the night of April 23, giving less than 24 hours notice for a missile test, but no ballistic launch was observed. Subsequent notices on April 26–27 indicated planned naval firings off Karachi’s coast, which also did not occur.
A third attempt between April 30 and May 2 signalled possible firings near India’s Exclusive Economic Zone, but again, no activity took place. Amid ongoing cross-border gunfire in Jammu and Kashmir and inflammatory rhetoric from Pakistani leaders, this fourth provocation, involving a proposed surface-to-surface missile test, poses a serious risk of escalating already heightened tensions between the two nuclear-armed nations.