Hatf-VI
A Hatf-VI (Shaheen-II) missile, with a range of 2,000 km (1,242 miles), takes off during a test flight from an undisclosed location in Pakistan April 21, 2008.Reuters

Pakistan successfully test fired indigenously developed Air Launched Cruise Missile, Hatf-VIII (Ra'ad) on Thursday.

The test came just a few days after India test fired a series of Akash missiles, a medium range surface-to-air anti-aircraft defence system with a strike range of 25 km and can carry a warhead of 60 kgs.

"Pakistan, today conducted a successful Flight Test of the indigenously developed Air Launched Cruise Missile, Hatf-VIII (Ra'ad). The Ra'ad Missile, with a range of over 350 KM, enables Pakistan to achieve strategic standoff capability on land and at Sea. 'Cruise Technology' is extremely complex and has been developed by only a few countries in the world.  The state of the art Ra'ad Cruise Missile with Stealth Capabilities is a Low Altitude, Terrain Hugging Missile with high maneuverability, and can deliver nuclear and conventional warheads with pin point accuracy," Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement.

"A major additional feature of today's test was the effective employment of the National Command Authority's fully automated Strategic Command and Control Support System (SCCSS).  It has enabled robust Command and Control capability of all strategic assets with round the clock situational awareness in a digitized network centric environment to decision makers at National Command Centre (NCC).  The system has the added capability of real time remote monitoring of missile flight path," it added.

The President, the Prime Minister of Pakistan and Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee congratulated the scientists and engineers on their outstanding achievement.

Pakistan test fired a nuclear capable ballistic missile, Hatf IV Shaheen-1A, last month (April 2012).

The test firing of Pakistan's Shaheen-1A came just six days after India launched its first Inter-continental Ballistic Missile, Agni V.

Call it a coincidence but the timing of the test could make many raise the eyebrows as India and Pakistan have border dispute.