Fa'az missile test: Pakistan fires its first home-made air-to-air missile
ISPR says the Fa'az hit the mark in its first flight test on Tuesday. What the missile is, what the military said and why it matters for the PAF.
Pakistan has test-fired the Fa’az, the first air-to-air missile developed in the country, the military’s media wing ISPR said on Tuesday, 3 November. ISPR called the flight test successful and said the missile can hit enemy aircraft “at longer ranges”.
Until now, the missiles Pakistan Air Force jets carry to shoot down other aircraft have come from abroad. That is what makes this test different from the ballistic and cruise missile launches Pakistanis are used to hearing about.
What is the Fa’az missile?
According to ISPR, the Fa’az has a “state-of-the-art terminal guidance system”, the part that steers the missile onto its target in the final seconds. It is built to track and engage hostile aircraft at extended ranges. ISPR did not give a range figure, a speed or say which aircraft fired it.
The Fa’az family was first shown in public by Pakistan’s state defence group GIDS at the IDEF arms fair in Istanbul in 2023, as medium-range air-to-air missiles. Tuesday’s launch is the first time the military has announced a flight test.
What ISPR said
The statement said the missile “will significantly enhance operational flexibility of Pakistan Air Force” and that the test “underscores the technical maturity, innovation and self-reliance” of the country’s defence industry. Senior officers of the armed forces, scientists and engineers watched the launch.
President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and army chief Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir congratulated the nation and the teams behind it, calling it a milestone.
Why it matters
An air-to-air missile is the main weapon a fighter jet uses against other aircraft. Making one at home means less dependence on foreign suppliers, who can delay deliveries or attach conditions. The military said exactly this: the Fa’az should reduce reliance on foreign weapons.
The test is part of a run of launches this autumn. Last month Pakistan tested an extended-range version of the Fatah-2 missile. Both come more than a year after the air battle with India, in which Pakistan says it shot down six Indian aircraft, including a Rafale; India admitted some losses but denies losing six.
What we don’t know yet
ISPR has not said how far the Fa’az can reach, when it will enter service or which jets will carry it first. Those details will matter more than the headline: a missile becomes a capability only when squadrons have it in numbers. We will update this story if the PAF releases more.
