Ra'ad-II

Ra'ad-II is an extended-range Pakistani air-launched cruise missile associated with the Hatf-8/Ra'ad family. Pakistan publicly tested Ra'ad-II in 2020, with CSIS reporting the event and noting Pakistan's claimed range increase over earlier versions. The missile fits Pakistan's broader effort to diversify nuclear and conventional delivery systems beyond ballistic missiles. Its development is closely tied to aircraft-carried standoff strike, especially with legacy Mirage platforms and later potential aircraft integration.

Technically, Ra'ad-II is described as an air-launched cruise missile with terrain-hugging flight, standoff range, and guidance intended to evade air defenses. Pakistan stated a 600 km range in its 2020 test announcement, according to CSIS reporting. As an ALCM, the missile is launched from an aircraft, allowing the carrier to remain outside some defended zones. Public sources associate Ra'ad-family missiles with nuclear capability, but exact warhead arrangements and operational aircraft integration remain sensitive.

Operationally, Ra'ad-II gives Pakistan a way to threaten targets from the air without relying only on gravity bombs or ballistic missiles. A standoff cruise missile complicates air-defense planning because it can fly low and approach from less predictable directions. Its nuclear association also makes test launches part of deterrence signaling toward India. The system's practical value depends on aircraft survivability, command control, targeting quality, and production scale, but it is an important part of Pakistan's cruise-missile modernization.