Pakistan tests Fa'az, its first indigenously developed air-to-air missile, from a JF-17

Pakistan on Tuesday, 3 November 2026, carried out a successful flight test of Fa'az, the country's first indigenously developed air-to-air missile, the military's media wing Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said. A video released by ISPR shows the missile being launched from a JF-17 fighter jet, Dawn reported.

What ISPR said about Fa'az

According to the ISPR statement, Fa'az is equipped with a "state-of-the-art terminal guidance system" and can engage targets at longer ranges. ISPR said the missile would "significantly enhance operational flexibility" of the Pakistan Air Force and called the test a sign of "the technical maturity, innovation and self-reliance achieved by Pakistan's defence industry".

ISPR did not publish a range, speed or weight for the missile.

Senior military officers, scientists and engineers who worked on the system watched the launch. President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir and the service chiefs congratulated the team, ISPR said. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said the test "marks a significant advancement in the field of defence".

Why an air-to-air missile matters

Air-to-air missiles are what fighter jets use against other aircraft. Until now the PAF has relied on imported missiles for that role, so a locally built one reduces dependence on foreign suppliers for a weapon that has to be stocked in large numbers. The JF-17 itself is co-produced at the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex in Kamra.

Third missile test in a month

Fa'az follows two surface-to-surface tests in October, according to Dawn:

• 13 October: the Fatah-2 extended range (ER) hypersonic ballistic missile, which ISPR said could defeat missile defence systems because of its trajectory and manoeuvrability.
• About a week earlier: an extended-range version of the Fatah-IV ground-launched cruise missile.

The tests come as tension with Afghanistan's Taliban government and the US-Iran war keep the region on edge. This is a developing story, and we will add the missile's details if ISPR or the PAF publish them. For more from Pakistan today, see the Pakistan news desk.