Pakistan tests missiles, torpedoes in Arabian Sea

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan Friday successfully test-fired new missiles and torpedoes in the Arabian Sea, the country’s navy said.

A statement from the Pakistan Navy said it tested its firepower “to assess the lethality, precision and efficacy of its weapon systems”.

The weapons tested included missiles fired from an F-22P frigate, air-to-surface missiles from P-3C aircraft, and subsurface-to-surface missiles from French-built Agosta 90B submarines.

“While reassuring Pakistan Navy’s commitment of defending the motherland, this strike capability would also send a message of deterrence to anyone harbouring nefarious designs against Pakistan,” said the navy statement, in an apparent reference to neighbouring India, with whom Pakistan has tense relations.

Pakistan’s tests came around a month after India successfully fired its nuclear-capable surface-to-surface Agni-III missile, which has a range of over 3,000 km.