Missile game: Pakistan targets BrahMos-II with hypersonic plans Strategic scientist Dr Maria Sultan says Pakistan is developing hypersonic cruise missiles, pointing to India's planned BrahMos-II as a catalyst. She did not specify whether the program was indigenous or a joint venture - but she praised it as proof of Pakistan's nuclear and metallurgical capability. Pakistan does not yet have a single glider or scramjet-powered missile - the air-breathing engines that burn fuel in a supersonic airflow to hit Mach 5+. However, on October 13, 2026, the IDF tested the extended range of Petah-2 and introduced it as a hypersonic ballistic missile. Analysts note that true hypersonic mode requires sustained atmospheric flight. Pakistan has reportedly made progress in subsonic cruise missile engines, but scramjet know-how and test facilities remain out of reach. Closing this gap will take deep pockets and years - so a joint venture seems to be the most likely way. The BrahMos factor: BrahMos is an operational supersonic missile that flies at Mach 2.8-3, while BrahMos-II is aimed at Mach 7-8. Pakistan's systems cannot match the sustained speed of BrahMoss - instead, they emphasize terminal speed, maneuverability and range under the command of the army's rocket power, which Pakistani commentators present as a direct response to such threats. substack | talk.

Missile game: Pakistan targets BrahMos-II with hypersonic plans Strategic scientist Dr Maria Sultan says Pakistan is developing hypersonic cruise missiles, pointing to India's planned BrahMos-II as a catalyst. She did not specify whether the program was indigenous or a joint venture - but she praised it as proof of Pakistan's nuclear and metallurgical capability. Pakistan does not yet have a single glider or scramjet-powered missile - the air-breathing engines that burn fuel in a supersonic airflow to hit Mach 5+. However, on October 13, 2026, the IDF tested the extended range of Petah-2 and introduced it as a hypersonic ballistic missile. Analysts note that true hypersonic mode requires sustained atmospheric flight. Pakistan has reportedly made progress in subsonic cruise missile engines, but scramjet know-how and test facilities remain out of reach. Closing this gap will take deep pockets and years - so a joint venture seems to be the most likely way. The BrahMos factor: BrahMos is an operational supersonic missile that flies at Mach 2.8-3, while BrahMos-II is aimed at Mach 7-8. Pakistan's systems cannot match the sustained speed of BrahMoss - instead, they emphasize terminal speed, maneuverability and range under the command of the army's rocket power, which Pakistani commentators present as a direct response to such threats. substack | talk.