Second successful testing of tactical missile.

ISLAMABAD -- The army on Thursday announced the second successful testing of tactical ballistic missile Nasr in a week, this time confirming the manoeuvring capabilities of the missile.

'The 2nd phase of this exercise was aimed at testing the extreme in-flight manoeuvrability, including the end-flight manoeuvrability; capable of defeating, by assured penetration, any currently available BMD system in our neighbourhood or any other system under procurement/development,' the Inter-Services Public Relations said in a statement.

In the latest tests, the missile was fired in single shots. A feature of the Jan 24 tests was firing of the missile in a salvo of four.

The Nasr has a 70-kilometre range and is said to possess high precision, and the ability of in-flight manoeuvrability. Because of its short range, lower trajectory and capability to manoeuvre, it is believed to be ideally suited to defeat India's planned ballistic missile defence system.

The weapon system was inducted into Pakistan's strategic arsenal in 2017 and its first training launch was held in July 2017.

Army Chief Gen Qamar Bajwa had on that occasion said: 'Nasr has put cold water on cold start.'

Nasr was developed in response to India's cold start doctrine, whose existence was officially confirmed by Indian Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat.

The tactical nuclear weapon system, it is said, is meant to deny space to India for conventional conflict below the nuclear threshold. Nasr, it is claimed, achieved its deterrence effect even before...