Pakistan has developed the Babur subsonic cruise missile and conducted five flights of the missile between August 2005 and December 2007. The range of the missile was stated to be 500 km in the initial flights. However, an increased range of 700 km was claimed in the latest flight. There was also a suggestion that the range may be further increased to 1000 km. While the Pakistan media have shown pictures of the missile in the static and flight conditions, no dimensional or mass details of the missile have been officially released.
An assessment of the missile dimensions has been carried out by studying these images. It is surmised that the missile diameter may be 560 mm and the total length 6.6 m. Other features of the missile have also been outlined. The missile range is computed using Tomahawk missile aerodynamic data. There is sufficient commonality in shape and dimensions between the Babur and the Tomahawk to justify this assumption. Our analysis indicates that the claimed range of 500 km for the missile is achievable. During the preparation of this report, Pakistan launched an Air Launched Cruise Missile, Raad on August 25, 2007. The Raad pictures have also been studied. Our preliminary findings indicate that the missile is different from the Babur. The Raad missile is 4.86 metres long and has a diameter of 880 mm.