Pakistan Navy test-fired indigenously developed Ship Launched Ballistic Missile from a warship. The missile, dubbed "SMASH", successfully hit the target centre on the ground.
The Weapon System, with a 350 km range, can engage land and sea targets with mid-flight manoeuvring capability.
The flight test was overseen by the Chief of the Naval Staff, Senior Officers from the Pakistan Navy and the engineers who participated in the development.
A ship-launched anti-ship ballistic missile named "P-282" has been mentioned by Pakistani sources years before the test. This suggests that P-282 is the SMASH missile.
Compared to turbojet-powered anti-ship missiles, anti-ship ballistic missiles (ASBMs) carry the potential for greater havoc as they can carry heavier warheads and approach from the top. However, landing a ballistic missile on a ship, especially a moving one, is more difficult than landing a cruise missile. Continuous midcourse updates and terminal guidance are among the primary methods for improving the precision against moving targets.
China is a major player in deploying such missiles with the well-known DF-21 MRBM and the more compact YJ-21/KD-21 for Chinese warships' VLS cells/bombers.
Iran is also developing its ASBMs from existing designs with added terminal manoeuvring capability.
The U.S. has recently embarked on ASBM development by initiating the development of a PrSM Increment 2 ballistic missile with a tri-mode seeker. Additionally, Increment 3 is planned to use ramjet propulsion for improved range.
