Pakistan tests indigenous Fa'az air-to-air missile, says new weapon will boost air force capabilities

Pakistan's has successfully tested its Fa'az air-to-air missile in a push to strengthen its indigenous missile capabilities, PTI reported on November 4.

Fa'az is Pakistan's first locally developed air-to-air missile. It will improve the operational flexibility of its air force, a press statement said.

The flight test was conducted on November 3.


The missile is equipped with an advanced terminal guidance system and is designed to engage hostile aircraft at longer ranges, the statement said.

The armed forces said the new weapon system would significantly expand the operational flexibility of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF). However, it did not disclose the missile's operational range, speed, payload specifications or other technical details.

Senior officers of the Pakistan Armed Forces, along with scientists and engineers involved in developing the missile, witnessed the test.

Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army chief Asim Munir congratulated the scientists and engineers, recognising their contribution to the development of the indigenous weapon system.

Pakistan's recent missile tests

The Fa'az test comes amid a series of missile development and testing initiatives by Pakistan in recent months as part of its efforts to expand domestic defence manufacturing and strengthen conventional strike capabilities.

In October, Pakistan successfully tested an extended-range version of its Fatah-4 ground-launched cruise missile. The test was intended to validate improvements in its subsystems, particularly those related to accuracy and survivability.

The baseline Fatah-4 is said to have a range of around 750 km. The range of the extended version has not been disclosed by the army.

Recently, Pakistan also announced the successful test of the Fatah-2 Extended Range ballistic missile, describing it as a precision-strike weapon equipped with advanced navigation and avionics.

In January 2026, the Pakistan Air Force also tested its indigenously developed Taimoor air-launched cruise missile, which has a reported range of 600 km and is designed to engage land and sea targets.