Pakistan test-fires first locally developed Fa'az air-to-air missile

Pakistan has successfully carried out the flight test of its first indigenously developed Fa'az air-to-air missile, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement on Tuesday. The ISPR described the test as a milestone for the country's aerospace and defence capabilities.

According to the ISPR, the missile is fitted with a state-of-the-art terminal guidance system and can engage enemy aerial targets at longer ranges. Express News reported the ISPR as saying the missile hit its target successfully.

The military media wing said Fa'az will enhance the operational flexibility of the Pakistan Air Force. It added that the flight test demonstrated the technical maturity, innovation and self-reliance of Pakistan's defence industry.

The launch was witnessed by senior armed forces officers, scientists and engineers. The president, the prime minister, the chief of army staff, the chief of defence forces and the services chiefs congratulated the scientists and engineers involved in the test.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also congratulated the nation on the successful test and called it an important development in the defence sector. He said: "Our scientists and engineers have once again achieved a remarkable feat."

The Express Tribune noted that the test follows other recent missile launches. Earlier this month the Pakistan Army test-fired an extended-range version of the Fatah-2 hypersonic ballistic missile, which the ISPR said can engage targets with high precision and defeat enemy missile defence systems.

A week before that announcement, an extended version of the Fatah-4 ground-launched cruise missile was test-fired, according to the ISPR. In September 2025, the army conducted a training launch of the Fatah-4 at a range of 750 kilometres.