Mirage IIIE launches Taimoor cruise missile in Pakistan Air Force test 

The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) has conducted a successful flight test of the indigenously developed Taimoor air-launched cruise missile, according to a statement released on January 3, 2026. 

Described by Pakistani authorities as a new conventional stand-off strike capability, the Taimoor weapon system is intended to engage both land and maritime targets with high precision. The missile is designed to fly at very low altitudes, using terrain-hugging and sea-skimming profiles to reduce exposure to air and missile defense systems. 

Test footage shows Mirage IIIE launch 

Video released on social media shows a Dassault Aviation Mirage IIIE fighter taking off with a test example of the missile mounted on its centerline station, followed by an in-flight release. Subsequent footage shows the missile in cruise and impacting a ground target. 

Neither the Pakistan Air Force nor military public relations officials disclosed the location of the test or the nature of the target. The flight was observed by senior officers of the Pakistan Armed Forces, as well as scientists and engineers involved in the program. 

In its official statement, Pakistan said Taimoor has a range of 600 kilometers (372 miles) and carries a conventional warhead. The missile is described as featuring a modern navigation and guidance system designed to support precision strikes against defended targets. 

Pakistan’s growing air-launched arsenal 

Pakistan’s state-owned defense exporter, Global Industrial & Defence Solutions (GIDS), has previously described Taimoor as a terrain-hugging, sea-skimming, turbojet-powered subsonic cruise missile weighing less than 1,200 kg (2,600 lb). GIDS first publicly showcased the missile at the IDEX defense exhibition in Abu Dhabi in 2023, presenting it as part of Pakistan’s expanding export catalog of indigenous air-launched and stand-off weapons. 

Operationally, Pakistan already fields the Ra’ad family of air-launched cruise missiles, integrated on both legacy fighter aircraft and more modern platforms in the Pakistan Air Force inventory.  

Beyond cruise missiles, GIDS has also been promoting air-to-air capabilities, including the FAAZ family of air-to-air missiles, as part of a broader push to offer a more complete domestically developed air combat portfolio. The post Mirage IIIE launches Taimoor cruise missile in Pakistan Air Force test  appeared first on AeroTime.

Go to Source