Pakistan’s army on Monday test-fired a long-rage, nuclear-capable ballistic missile, AFP reports. The military said this was the second test since the weekend, as Pakistani scientists and engineers also test-fired a missile on Saturday, following a similar test in February last year.

The Army Strategic Force Command (ASF) launched the Shaheen II, or Hatf VI, missile with a range of 2,000 kilometers (1,280 miles) from an undisclosed location, a military statement said. The successful test “marked the culmination of a field training exercise” and “validated the operational readiness of a strategic missile group equipped with Shaheen II missile.”

It appears the Shaheen II is Pakistan's longest-range ballistic missile system. Pakistan’s arsenal contains short-rage, medium and long-range missiles names after Muslim conquerors. According to the statement, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Muhammad Afzal Tahi congratulated the ASF. After witnessing Saturday's launch, new Premier Yousaf Raza Gilani mentioned that Pakistan’s nuclear weapons were aimed at “sustaining strategic balance in South Asia.”

In 1998, Pakistan became a declared nuclear power, by conducting tests in response to those carried out by India. The two neighbors fought three wars since gaining independence from Britain in 1947. However, their relations improved since 2004, when both countries issued a peace process aimed at solving their conflict over the divided Himalayan region of Kashmir, which both claim, the International Herald Tribune reports. India and Pakistan inform each other of missile tests in advance.

According to Times of India, the country developed the Agni and Prithvi Series of ballistic missiles and the Brahmos Cruise missile with Russian collaboration. India also developed Dhanus, a naval version of Prithvi, and detains the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile.

The first indigenous ballistic missile developed by Pakistan was Hatf-1 (1989). With the help of Chinese technology for M-11 missiles, Pakistan developed Hatf-III (Ghaznavi) missiles in 1995-96. India’s neighbor also has North Korean assistance in building Hatf-V (Ghauri-I/Nodong) missiles.