The Pakistani military announced on Tuesday that it had successfully tested the country’s first indigenously developed Fa’az air-to-air missile.

According to a statement by the military’s media wing, the Fa’az missile is equipped with an advanced terminal guidance system and designed to track and neutralize hostile aerial targets at long ranges, enhancing Pakistan’s defensive and offensive air capabilities.

The statement described the test as a significant step towards defense self-reliance and technological innovation in the country’s aerospace sector. The missile is expected to provide the Pakistan Air Force with greater operational flexibility, stronger air combat capabilities and reduced dependence on foreign weapons systems.

President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir congratulated the nation and the teams involved in achieving what they described as a major milestone.

The development comes after Pakistan conducted a test launch of the long-range variant of its Fatah-2 hypersonic ballistic missile in October.