The Fatah (Urdu: فتح, "Victory"), also known as the F-series,[2] is a family of guided multiple rocket launchers (MLRS) developed by Pakistan. It consists of rockets and cruise missiles of different calibres and ranges.
Development history
The Fatah is reportedly a result of Pakistan's efforts to shift the reliance of its armed forces from foreign arms to domestic weaponry. The Ministry of Defence Production revealed a project initiated between 2015 and 2016 which it said was aimed to develop an "extended range MLRS" with teams from Global Industrial Defence Solutions leading the R&D program.[3]
The Fatah-I was first test fired on 7 January 2021, with a stated range of up to 140 kilometers (87 miles).[4] An extended range variant was test fired on 24 August 2021, with an increased range of 150 km.[5] The Fatah-II was test fired on December 27, 2023, with a range of 400 kilometres.[6][7]
Deployment
The Pakistan Army officially introduced the Fatah into service in 2021 after a series of tests.[3][4][5]
The Fatah was first used in combat on 18 January 2024, where it was used to strike militant and insurgent targets and hideouts of the Balochistan Liberation Army and the Balochistan Liberation Front 20 km (12 miles) deep into Iran's Sistan and Baluchestan province, which reportedly killed 9 foreign nationals according to Iran.[8][9] Such Pakistani strikes were the first known instances of attacks on Iranian soil since the end of the Iran–Iraq War.[10] Both BLA and BLF later acknowledged the deaths of its people in the operation.[11]
During the 2025 India–Pakistan conflict, Pakistan fired Fatah-I and Fatah-II rockets at military targets within India.[12][13] The Indian air defences intercepted missiles (Fatah I & II) and drones with no casualties or damage reported.[14] According to multiple sources Fatah-II long-range missile was intercepted near the Sirsa Air Force Station early on May 10, 2025.[15][16][17] Missile debris were later recovered from multiple locations in India, including Sirsa, Haryana and Jalandhar, Punjab.[18]
Variants
Fatah-I
Fatah-I was the first ever rocket in the Fatah series.[3][4][5]
Fatah-II
The Fatah-II is a longer-range and more advanced version of the Fatah-I. The Fatah-II is mounted on a Chinese Taian TAS5450 eight-wheel drive chassis, providing enhanced mobility and operational flexibility. It integrates satellite and inertial navigation systems.[19][20][6][7]
On 28 April 2026, the Pakistan Army Rocket Force Command conducted a training test launch of the Fatah-II, the first one since the rocket had been upgraded to missile. The ISPR said in an official statement that the launch was witnessed by senior officers from the SPD, Pakistan Army and ARFC, and also by with scientists and engineers of multiple Strategic Organizations.[21]
Fatah-III
On 7 May 2026, Fatah-III supersonic cruise missile was unveiled by Pakistan Armed Forces' media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations, during a press briefing on the first anniversary of Operation Bunyan al-Marsoos. The top speed of the missile is reported between Mach 3-4.[22][23][24][25]
Fatah-IV
In September 2025, Pakistan announced its first "training launch" of the land-based surface-to-surface Fatah-IV cruise missile.[26][27] The army's media wing (ISPR) described the test as "successful", saying that the test was witnessed by senior military officials as well as scientific teams involved in the missile's development.[28][29] The indigenously developed missile covered a reported range of 750 kilometres during the test, matching previously published range claims and is equipped with "advanced avionics and navigational aids," and it employs a terrain-hugging flight profile intended to reduce the risk of radar detection.[26][27] It formed a major part of the arsenal of the Pakistan Army's then-newly established Army Rocket Force Command.[27]
On 14 May 2026, Pakistan conducted another training launch of its Fatah-IV ground-launched cruise missile. According to the Pakistan Armed Forces' media wing (ISPR), the missile was equipped with advanced avionics as well as state-of-the-art navigational aids and was capable of engaging long-range targets with high precision.[30][31][2] It also stated that "The training fire was conducted to enhance operational efficiency of the troops and validate technical parameters of various sub-systems incorporated for improved accuracy and enhanced survivability".[32][30][31] In a statement from 28 April, ISPR stated that launch was witnessed by senior officers from the Pakistan Army and ARFC along with scientists and engineers from NESCOM.[30][31][33]PresidentAsif Ali Zardari, Prime MinisterShehbaz Sharif, Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army StaffField MarshalAsim Munir, Chief of Naval StaffAdmiralNaveed Ashraf, Chief of Air StaffAir Chief MarshalZaheer Ahmad Baber Sidhu, Interior MinisterMohsin Naqvi, as well as Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign MinisterIshaq Dar all had congratulated and commended the ARFC for the successful training launch of the F-IV cruise missile.[30][31][33] The test had been conducted just 4 days after the 1-year anniversary of the Operation Bunyan al-Marsoos.[34]
Fatah-V
In 2026 it was reported that Pakistan was to test the Fatah-V, with an expected range of 950–1000 km.[35][36][37]
Operators
Pakistan Armed Forces
Pakistan Army- Regiment of Artillery Corps (until 2025)
- Army Rocket Force Command (since 2025)
See also
References
- ↑"Pakistan Army inducts Fatah-II rocket launcher". Janes.com. 2024-05-16. Retrieved 2025-07-30.
- 1 2 "Pakistán realiza ejercicios de tiro con el sistema de armas Fatah-4" . Brecorder . 14 de mayo de 2026. Consultado el 15 de mayo de 2026 .
- 1 2 3 "Misiles guiados superficie-superficie GIDS Fatah" . Quwa.org . 19 de marzo de 2025.
- 1 2 3 Reportero, Redacción del periódico (08-01-2021). "Pakistán prueba un sistema de cohetes de lanzamiento múltiple" . Dawn . Consultado el 21-01-2026 .
- 1 2 3 Dawn.com (24 de agosto de 2021). "Pakistán realiza una prueba exitosa del sistema MLRS guiado Fatah-1 'desarrollado autóctonamente': ISPR" . Dawn . Consultado el 21 de enero de 2026 .
- 1 2 Ansari, Usman (27-12-2023). "Observe cómo Pakistán prueba una nueva arma de ataque de precisión de largo alcance" . Defense News . Recuperado el 21-01-2026 .
- 1 2 Shirazi, Iftikhar (27-12-2023). "Pakistán realiza con éxito una prueba de vuelo del Fatah-II: ISPR" . Dawn . Consultado el 21-01-2026 .
- ↑ "Pakistán lanza ataques aéreos de represalia dentro de Irán ante el aumento de las tensiones" . TRT World . 18 de enero de 2024. Archivado del original el 18 de enero de 2024.
- ↑ "Operación Marg Bar Sarmachar" . Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores - Gobierno de Pakistán . 18 de enero de 2024. Archivado del original el 18 de enero de 2024. Consultado el 18 de enero de 2024 .
- ↑ Cordall, Simon Speakman. "«Credibilidad en juego»: ¿Por qué Irán atacó dentro de Pakistán en medio de la guerra de Gaza? Al Jazeera . Consultado el 7 de abril de 2024 .
- ↑ "«Anunciamos la guerra a Pakistán»: ¿Quiénes son los separatistas baluchis, objetivo de Irán? India Today . 18 de enero de 2024. Archivado del original el 23 de enero de 2024. Consultado el 23 de enero de 2024 .
- ↑ " Pakistán toma represalias después de que afirmara que India disparó misiles contra 3 bases aéreas" . www.cbc.ca
- ↑ "India afirma que Pakistán atacó con misiles de 'alta velocidad' y que sus objetivos fueron bases aéreas" . www.aa.com.tr. Consultado el 12 de mayo de 2025 .
- ↑Gillani, Waqar; Hassan, Aakash; Abrams, Corinne (8 May 2025). "India Says It Intercepted Missiles and Drones Launched by Pakistan". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2025-05-31.
- ↑"Panic in the skies, rumour on the ground: When a missile was intercepted over Sirsa. facilities". The Indian Express. 2025-05-11. Retrieved 2025-07-07.
- ↑"Barak 8: India's air defence system that intercepted Pakistan's Fatah-II missile". Firstpost. May 10, 2025.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑"How India intercepted Delhi-bound Fatah-II missile fired from Pakistan over Sirsa". Moneycontrol. May 11, 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑Bajwa, Harpreet (2025-05-10). "Missile debris found in Haryana's Sirsa, Punjab's Jalandhar; tension prevails in border districts". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 2026-05-18.
- ↑"Understanding Pakistan's Rationale for the Fatah-II Rocket". thediplomat.com. Retrieved 2025-05-10.
- ↑"Pakistan fires Fatah-II: What are ballistic missiles? Does India have them?". Firstpost. 2025-05-10. Retrieved 2025-05-10.
- ↑"Pakistan 'successfully' test-fires indigenously developed Fatah-4 cruise missile". Geo News. 2026-05-14. Retrieved 2026-05-15.
- ↑11K views · 558 reactions | Pakistan Army unveils it's [sic] latest indigenous equipment ⚔️🇵🇰 You will find many surprises in the video. - Fatah-III Cruise Missile. - Long Range Rocket Dispensed Mine System. - Lance IR SAM. - 5th Bakhtar Shikan ATGM. - Short/Medium/Long Range Anti UAV Systems. - Robots. - Long Range Precision Weapon Systems. | Pakistan Strategic Forum. Retrieved 2026-05-07– via www.facebook.com.
- ↑ISPR Official (2026-05-07). DG ISPR Press Conference - 7 May 26 | ISPR. Retrieved 2026-05-07– via YouTube.
- ↑Team, Quwa (2026-05-13). "Fatah-3 Supersonic Cruising Missile (SSCM) - Quwa". quwa.org. Retrieved 2026-06-15.
- ↑ Elezhar, Akhsan Erido (11 de mayo de 2026). "Pakistán presenta el misil de crucero 'Fatah-3', inspirado en el HD-1 de China" . The Defense Post . Consultado el 15 de junio de 2026 .
- 1 2 Arain, Amir Latif. "Pakistán realiza un lanzamiento de entrenamiento del misil de crucero Fatah-4" . Agencia Anadolu .
- 1 2 3 Grevatt, Jon (2025-10-01). "El ejército de Pakistán lanza de prueba el nuevo misil Fatah-IV" . Janes . Recuperado el 2026-01-21 .
- ↑ "El ejército pakistaní realiza con éxito un lanzamiento de entrenamiento del misil de crucero Fatah-4" . Dawn . 30 de septiembre de 2025. Consultado el 14 de mayo de 2026 .
- ↑ Zehra, Zarmeen (30 de septiembre de 2025). "El ejército pakistaní realiza un exitoso lanzamiento de entrenamiento del misil de crucero Fatah-4" . Geo News . Consultado el 14 de mayo de 2026 .
- 1 2 3 4 "Pakistán realiza con éxito un lanzamiento de entrenamiento del misil de crucero Fatah-4" . The Express Tribune . 14 de mayo de 2026. Consultado el 15 de mayo de 2026 .
- 1 2 3 4 "Pakistán prueba con éxito el misil de crucero Fatah-IV: ISPR" . Dawn . 14 de mayo de 2026. Consultado el 15 de mayo de 2026 .
- ↑ "Pakistán realiza con éxito un ejercicio de tiro con el misil Fatah-4 de fabricación nacional" . iranpress.com . Consultado el 15 de mayo de 2026 .
- 1 2 "Pakistán realiza con éxito un ejercicio de tiro con el misil de crucero Fatah-4 de fabricación nacional" . www.radio.gov.pk . Archivado del original el 14 de mayo de 2026. Consultado el 15 de mayo de 2026 .
- ↑ "Pakistán realiza un lanzamiento de entrenamiento del misil Fatah-4 de desarrollo nacional" . Arab News . 14 de mayo de 2026. Consultado el 15 de mayo de 2026 .
- ↑ "Pakistán se prepara para probar el cohete Fatah-5 de 1000 km en 2026, transformando la artillería de cohetes en un arma de ataque estratégico de largo alcance" . Defence Security Asia . 10 de enero de 2026. Consultado el 13 de mayo de 2026 .
- ↑ "Onda expansiva del 'Fatah-V' de Pakistán: un presunto cohete de ataque furtivo de 1000 km podría reescribir el equilibrio militar entre India y Pakistán" . Defence Security Asia . 10 de mayo de 2026. Consultado el 15 de mayo de 2026 .
- ↑"Pakistan's Fatah-5 Could Hit India 1,000 km Away: Islamabad's New Deep-Strike Rocket May Redraw South Asia's Military Balance". Defence Security Asia. 2026-04-05. Retrieved 2026-05-15.
- Surface-to-surface missiles of Pakistan
- Guided missiles of Pakistan
- Tactical ballistic missiles of Pakistan
- Military equipment introduced in the 2020s
- Multiple rocket launchers of Pakistan
- GIDS products