The locally developed Ra'ad (Hatf-8) missile - Ra'ad means thunder in Arabic - has a range of 350km and uses stealth design and materials, it said.

The missile 'has been designed exclusively for launch from a variety of Pakistan's air platforms, providing these with a strategic stand-off capability on land and at sea', it said.

'The Ra'ad can carry all types of warheads and has an accuracy comparable to Pakistan's longer Babur cruise missile,' the statement said.

Pakistan last testfired the Babur, which has a 700km range, in July.

President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz congratulated the scientists and engineers involved in designing the new cruise missile, saying: 'Pakistan's defence will continue to be strengthened as an imperative of national security.'

Pakistan did not say if it had informed New Delhi in advance about the test. They have an agreement to notify each other about tests of ballistic missiles but not cruise missiles.

AFP