Subordinate To: Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission
Address: P.O. Box 3209
Karachi 757730 Pakistan
Telephone: (92-21) 2636230-39
Fax: (92-21) 263676
Email: mailto:suparco@super.net.pk
URL: http://www.suparco.gov.pk/index.html
Primary Function: The SUPARCO plant in Karachi was built in the mid-1980s to manufacture sounding rockets for upper atmosphere research. Pakistan's Hatf-I and Hatf-II ballistic missiles are believed to be derivatives of French sounding rockets built by or with assistance from SUPARCO.

Description and Activities:
The SUPARCO plant in Karachi undertakes complete fabrication of sounding rockets. It is equipped with facilities to manufacture solid-fuel propellant grains, and has static facilities to test rocket motors. Although sounding rockets are used for upper atmosphere-related civilian research programs, SUPARCO is believed to have modified French Dauphin and Dragon sounding rockets to produce the solid-fueled Hatf-I and Hatf-II short-range ballistic missiles. Pakistan's National Defense Complex, which functions under the aegis of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC), and is involved in the development of the Hatf-III/Ghaznavi and Hatf-IV & VI/Shaheen-I & II solid-fueled ballistic missiles, also uses SUPARCO's plants and test facilities for military purposes. SUPARCO and its subordinate agencies have been repeatedly sanctioned by the US government for transactions involving violations of the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR).

Key Sources: "Scientific Rocket Experiments," SUPARCO Plant, Karachi, <http://www.suparco.gov.pk/splant.html>; "Pakistan derives its first 'Hatf' missiles from foreign space rockets," The Risk Report, Volume 1 Number 8 (October 1995), p. 5, <http://www.wisconsinproject .org/countries/Pakistan/hatf.html>; "Imposition of Missile Proliferation Sanctions Against Chinese and Pakistani Entities," Federal Register, 17 July 1991; in Lexis-Nexis Academic Universe, 17 July 1991, <http://web.lexis-nexis.com>; S. Chandrashekar, "An Assessment of Pakistan's Missile Capability," Missile Monitor, Number 3, Spring 1993, pp. 4-11.

	Updated December 2003