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ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, April 22 (UPI) -- Pakistan successfully test-fired a newborn short-range surface-to-surface ballistic missile, the Hatf-9, at an covert location, the Defense Ministry said.

The onset of the arm with a arrange of meet inferior than 40 miles was at sea, the Defense Ministry said in the written statement.

Hatf-9 is a multi-tube ballistic arm grouping capable of carrying a thermonuclear explosive and witting to deter emerging threats and impact Pakistan's short-range strategic weapons utilization program. It is a low-yield battlefield baulk capable of inflicting damage on mobile forces much as brachiate brigades and divisions, the evidence said.

It comes after a effort in March of a Hatf-2 surface-to-surface ballistic arm with a arrange of 110 miles. The Ministry of Defense released a video -- inferior than 1 instance in size -- of the effort firing. It showed the arm leaving the launch ship and touch a target ship amidships, followed by moving smoke.

In primeval February, Pakistan successfully test-fired its nuclear-capable Hatf-7, or Babur, voyage arm as "part of a impact of validating the system," a polity evidence said at the time. "Babur can circularize strategic and customary warheads," expeditionary spokesman Maj. Gen. Arthar Abbas said.

Also, it has a 10-foot broadside error saucer accuracy, dripless sufficiency for ingest in preoperative strikes.

The arm -- titled after the 16th-century Islamic individual Hair ID-din Muhammad Ba bur, founder of the Mughal Empire -- reportedly flew roughly 370 miles.

Its arrange is reportable to be 470 miles, which, analysts have said, would allow for the arm to be launched deep exclusive Pakistani territory and reach field cities in neighboring India.

The arrange is politically momentous because the arm was matured with an eye to defending Pakistan against India's indigenously matured BrahMos voyage missiles.

The stylish effort onset drew activity from Indian-based expeditionary analysts and polity officials.

"Pakistan already has the long and medium-range Shaheen and Ghauri program of missiles, acquired with help of China and North Korea, to behave as the delivery execution for strategic thermonuclear weapons,'' a grownup Amerindic authorised is quoted in the Amerindic media.

"So, with this newborn missile, Islamabad seems to be looking at tactical thermonuclear ism against advancing adversary formations. But it is being bold if it thinks thermonuclear weapons are war-fighting weapons,'' he said.

India's main voyage missile, the PJ-10 BrahMos, was first proven in 2001.

The BrahMos is together matured by Russia's Mashinostroyenia and India's BrahMos Corp. and has a ramjet voyage engine based on Russia's supersonic anti-ship Yakhont missile. The BrahMos's peak pace is 2,100 mph -- threesome times that of the Tomahawk.

BrahMos Aerospace said it conventional $4 billion of orders from the Amerindic military. The missile, with a arrange of around 180 miles, will be delivered to the grey and navy over the incoming five years, with orders beyond that up to 2015 worth around $10 billion, a company evidence said.

Air and underwater variants are low development.