Key Points
- Pakistan tested its new indigenously developed SMASH anti-ship ballistic missile at sea, demonstrating a hypersonic-class strike capability.
- The missile uses a quasi-ballistic trajectory with terminal manoeuvres designed to compress ship defenses’ reaction time.
Pakistan has carried out a successful at-sea test of its new SMASH Anti-Ship Ballistic Missile, a weapon described by Islamabad as an indigenous Mach-8-class system designed for rapid, high-energy strikes against surface targets.
According to information released by Pakistani defense sources, the test marked the first operational launch of the SMASH missile from a naval platform, demonstrating what Pakistan calls a “historic breakthrough” for its surface fleet.
As noted in the Pakistani Armed Forces Inter-Services Public Relations, “Pakistan’s successful maiden launch of the indigenously developed SMASH Mach-8 Anti-Ship Ballistic Missile marks a historic breakthrough in South Asian naval warfare.”
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The SMASH system follows a different flight path than the cruise missiles. Instead of flying at low altitude for extended periods, the missile “follows a quasi-ballistic trajectory, boosting rapidly to altitude before diving onto its target at hypersonic-class closing speeds.” The description adds that its terminal maneuvers resemble manoeuvrable re-entry vehicles, which compress the reaction time available to shipboard defenders.
Pakistan says this profile gives the missile distinct advantages in modern naval engagements. According to the provided information, “Its terminal manoeuvring profile… forces shipboard defenses into a reaction window of mere seconds, overwhelming intercept logic and sensor tracking.”
Pakistani Navy surface combatants, including the Zulfiquar-class F-22P frigates, are expected to be among the first platforms to field the new missile. With an estimated reach of roughly 350 kilometers, the system is described as offering commanders an over-the-horizon option that keeps launch ships outside the engagement envelope of many shipborne surface-to-air missile systems.
While Pakistan has not released technical specifications, the description notes a solid-fuel ballistic propulsion system, inertial navigation with satellite correction, and an unspecified form of terminal guidance, potentially radar- or imaging-based. Its warhead is said to be optimized to penetrate ship hulls and critical compartments.
Operationally, Pakistani defense sources frame SMASH as part of a broader sea-denial approach intended to complicate adversary fleet operations. The concept aligns with what Pakistan calls a “shoot-and-sprint” tactic in which ships at sea fire and then quickly reposition before a counterstrike can be coordinated.
Pakistani sources underscore that the missile represents a shift in military posture rather than simply a new munition. As stated in the description, “SMASH is less about payload and more about posture — a signal of intent that Pakistan intends to keep adversary fleets at arm’s length.”
