 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Anti-ship ballistic missile" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(April 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Ananti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM) is a militaryballistic missile systemdesigned to hit a warship at sea.
_ballistic_missile.jpg)
Due to the high flight speed of ballistic missiles, an ASBM'skinetic energy alone may be sufficient to cripple or outright destroy a target with a singleconventionalwarhead impact. Unlike anuclear warhead, however, this would require a direct hit to be effective; therefore unlike a land attackballistic missile, which typically strikes fixed targets in known positions, an ASBM requires a dedicated sensor chain to detect and identify its target, combined with a precise and high-performanceterminal guidance system with advanced sensors and in-flight calibrations in order to successfully hit a moving target.[1][2]
In late November 2023, during theRed Sea crisis caused by the continuation of theGaza war, theUnited States Central Command (CENTCOM) in the Middle East, reported that two ballistic missiles had been fired at theUnited States NavyArleigh Burke-classdestroyerUSS Mason from areas controlled by YemeniHouthi movement.[3][4] In January 2024, at the same time as US and British airstrikes on Yemen, US PresidentJoe Biden confirmed that the Yemenis had used ASBMs for the "first time in history".[5]
The United States Navy fields what some experts believe to be the best midcourse anti-ballistic defense in the world,[10] and is developing high powered lasers for terminal-defense against anti-ship ballistic missiles.[11]The U.S. arsenal has a variety of potential countermeasures.[10]According to a senior political scientist at theRAND Corporation, Roger Cliff, an anti-ship ballistic missile is not useful without additional complex ship detection, data processing and communication systems, all of which, including the missile itself, could bejammed or spoofed.[12][13]
DuringOperation Prosperity Guardian, the first combat shootdown of an ASBM was achieved by the destroyerUSS Laboon on December 26, 2023.[14] By January 9th, a total of seven Houthi ASBMs had been successfully intercepted by the U.S. Navy.[14] On January 24, 2024,USS Gravely shot down two Houthi ASBMs.[15] On January 26, 2024,USS Carney also successfully intercepted a Houthi ASBM.[15]
The 4K18 was aSoviet Union intermediate-range ballistic anti-ship missile (also known as R-27K, where "K" stands forkorabelnaya which means "ship-related")NATO reporting name: SS-NX-13. Initial submarine testing began on 9 December 1972 on boardK-102, aGolf-class submarine. Test firings were carried out between 11 September and 4 December 1973. Following the initial trials, the K-102 continued making trial launches with both the R-27 and the R-27K, until it was accepted for service on 15 August 1975.
Using external targeting data, the R-27K/SS-NX-13 would have been launched underwater to a range of between 350 and 400 nautical miles (650 and 740 km), covering a "footprint" of 27 nmi (50 km). The maneuvering re-entry vehicle (MaRV) would then home in on the target with acircular error probable (CEP) of 400 yards (370 m). Warhead yield was between 0.5–1 megatonnes.
The R-27K / SS-NX-13 was the world's first anti-ship ballistic missile. However, it never became operational, since every launch tube used for the R-27K counted as a strategic missile in theSALT agreement, and they were considered more important.
_20210427.jpg)
China has inducted the world's first[18] operational anti-ship ballistic missile, a "carrier killer" capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear warheads, known as theDF-21D.[19] In 2010, it was reported that China had entered the DF-21D into its early operational stage for deployment.[20]
TheDF-26, first revealed on the2015 Victory Day Parade, is also able to carry anti-ship warheads, possiblyhypersonic glide vehicles like theDF-ZF, to attack medium and large naval vessels out to ranges of 3,500–5,000 kilometres (2,200–3,100 mi).[21]
China is apparently working on asecond-generation ASBM using hypersonicmaneuverable reentry vehicle technology tested on theDF-ZF. This would allow the warhead to search for the current location of the carrier, instead of just dropping towards the predicted spot it was initially aiming at. The high speed maneuvers would also make the missile much harder to intercept.[22]Type 055 destroyers are armed with theYJ-21 anti-ship ballistic missiles along with theYJ-18 anti-ship cruise missiles inGJB 5860-2006vertical launch system.
TheIndian Navy currently operates ship launchedDhanush ballistic missiles (a variant of thePrithvi-III missile) for anti-ship roles. Dhanush has a range of 750 km (470 mi).[23]
In February 2011, Iran demonstrated a short-range anti-ship ballistic missile namedPersian Gulf orKhalij Fars, a missile based on theFateh-110 which successfully hit a stationary target vessel. It has been reported as a short ranged ballistic missile with a range of 250–300 km (160–190 mi).[24] Later, Iran introduced the Hormuz missile with anti-ship capability.[25] In 2020, Iran unveiled the Zolfaqar Basir, an anti-ship variant of theZolfaghar with a range of 700 km (430 mi).[25]
ThePakistan Navy successfully conducted a flight test of theP282 SMASH, an indigenously developed ship-launched anti-ship ballistic missile with a 350-kilometer range in November 2024. The missile system, equipped with advanced navigation and maneuverability features, is said to be capable of striking land and sea targets with high precision.[26] It has been deployed on at least one of Pakistan'sZulfiquar-class frigates.[27]
The CM-401 is guided by a radar seeker that can track surface ships or use synthetic aperture (SAR) to image the ground to attack ground facilities such as ports
Latest Russian air-to-ground missiles are pretty accurate due to the use of modern guidance systems with satellite navigation capability.