The Shaheen-I is a two-stage, solid-fueled short-to-medium-range ballistic missile developed by Pakistan’s National Engineering and Scientific Commission (NESCOM). As a solid-fueled missile, it is highly mobile and ready to launch on short notice, providing a crucial and responsive component of Pakistan’s strategic deterrent. The missile is based on the design of China’s DF-11/M-11 and DF-15/M-9 missiles, with significant indigenous modifications. It has a reported range of up to 750 km, which covers a substantial portion of the Indian subcontinent. The missile can be deployed on a six-axle road-mobile transporter erector launcher (TEL), a key feature that enhances its survivability by making it difficult for adversaries to target it in a pre-emptive strike. The Shaheen-I is capable of carrying a single nuclear or conventional warhead, with a payload capacity of up to 1,000 kg. Its guidance system relies on an Inertial Navigation System (INS), which guides the missile toward its target based on pre-programmed flight data. An important feature is its “post-separation attitude correction system,” which refines its trajectory after the warhead separates from the main missile body. This system, along with its ability to perform in-flight maneuvers, improves accuracy and complicates interception by ballistic missile defense systems. The Shaheen-I entered service with the Pakistan Army Strategic Forces Command in 2003, and an enhanced variant, the Shaheen-1A, with a range of up to 900 km, was later developed and tested, further solidifying Pakistan’s medium-range strike capability.
- Type: Short-to-Medium-Range Ballistic Missile (SRBM/MRBM)
- Propulsion: Two-stage solid-fuel rocket engine
- Range: 750 km (Shaheen-1A: 900 km)
- Payload: Up to 1,000 kg, including conventional or nuclear warheads
- Guidance: Inertial Navigation System (INS) with a post-separation attitude correction system
- Launch Platform: Road-mobile Transporter Erector Launcher (TEL)
- Length: Approximately 12.0 m
- Weight: Approximately 9,500 kg
