Faaz

Faaz
Type	Beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile
Place of origin	Pakistan
Service history
Used by	Pakistan Air Force Pakistan Army
Production history
Designer	NESCOM
Manufacturer	GIDS
Produced	Early 2020s
Variants	See variants
Specifications
Effective firing range	8 km for Faaz-SL SAM version 100km for Faaz-1 series 180 km for Faaz-2 BVRAAM
Warhead	HE
Detonation mechanism	Proximity fuze/Contact fuze
Operational range	Faaz-RF: 25 km (16 mi) Faaz-IIR: 40 km (25 mi) Faaz-SL: 20 km (12 mi) Faaz-2: 180 km (110 mi)
Maximum speed	4321.8 km/h (mach 3.5)
Guidance system	Infrared homing and Active radar homing
Launch platform	Aircraft & Ground vehicle

The Faaz (Urdu: فاز, "victorious") is a family of under-development beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile produced by Pakistani defense conglomerate GIDS. It is intended for use both by air platforms as air to air missiles as well as ground based air defense (GBAD) system units as a surface to air missile.[1][2][3]

Design

The design of the Faaz is inspired from the Chinese SD-10 missile. GIDS maintains it locally manufactures and owns intellectual property rights of the Faaz missile.[4]

History

The Faaz was first revealed to the public during the IDEF 2023 at Turkey. Both air variants and the SAM version were displayed. In 2024, media reports emerged from Turkey and Pakistan that both countries were planning to merge missile technology projects. It is expected that the Faaz and GÖKTUĞ missile projects will be merged in the near future.[5]

Variants

• Faaz-RF: (Faaz-Radio Frequency) Active radar guided version with 25km detection range.[1][4]
• Faaz-IIR: (Faaz-Imaging Infra-Red) Infrared homing version with 40km detection range.[1][4]
• Faaz-SL: (Faaz-Surface Launched) SAM variant with max range of 20-25km. Operated from a ground vehicle.[1][6]
• Faaz-2: Upgraded BVRAAM version with up to 180km range.[2]

Operators

 Pakistan

• Pakistan Air Force
• Pakistan Army

See also

• PL-12 – (China)
• AIM-120 AMRAAM – (United States)
• AIM-7 Sparrow – (United States)
• R-77 – (Russia)
• Meteor (missile) – (France, United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, Spain, Sweden)
• Astra (missile) – (India)
• PL-15 – (China)

References

1. "Road to the Future". GIDS Website.
2. "IDEF 2023: GIDS reveals details of prototype air-launched missiles". Janes. 28 July 2023.
3. "MISSILE, ARTILLERY, HYPERSONICS, BALLISTICS AND SOLDIER SYSTEMS UPDATE". Battlespace. 4 August 2023.
4. Ansari, Usman (3 August 2023). "Pakistani defense conglomerate unveils new drone, missiles at IDEF". Defense News.
5. "Turkey, Pakistan Collaborate on Development of Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missiles". Defense Security Asia. 16 February 2024.
6. "Pakistan's Defence Industry Lays Out Ambitious Future Roadmap". Quwa. 22 May 2023.