Anti-ship ballistic missile

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An anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM) is a military ballistic missile system designed to hit a warship at sea.

Due to the high flight speed of ballistic missiles, an ASBM's kinetic energy alone may be sufficient to cripple or outright destroy a target with a single conventional warhead impact. Unlike a nuclear warhead, however, this would require a direct hit to be effective; therefore unlike a land attack ballistic 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-performance terminal guidance system with advanced sensors and in-flight calibrations in order to successfully hit a moving target.^[1][2]

In late November 2023, during the Red Sea crisis caused by the continuation of the 2023 Gaza war, the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) in the Middle East, reported that two ballistic missiles had been fired at the United States Navy Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Mason from areas controlled by Yemeni Houthi movement.^[3][4] In January 2024, at the same time as US and British airstrikes on Yemen, US President Joe Biden confirmed that the Yemenis had used ASBMs for the "first time in history".^[5]

• Possibly the first ship ever hit by an ASBM was the Liberian-flagged MV Palatium 3. Afterwards, the ASBMs seem to have scored several hits on merchant vessels. The vessels that were hit are:
  • MV Swan Atlantic
  • MV Gibraltar Eagle
  • MV Zografia
  • MV Marlin Luanda
  • Greek-owned bulk carrier Star Nasia
  • MV Rubymar^[6]
• A drone and an ASBM were launched at Swan Atlantic.
• The missile that struck Gibraltar Eagle caused no casualties or significant damage.
• The missile that struck Zografia impacted midship; a video of the hit is available online. Zografia remained seaworthy.
• The missile that struck Marlin Luanda caused a fire.
• The Star Nasia reported an explosion near the ship causing minor damage but no injuries.^[7][8][9]
• The Rubymar, according to CENTCOM, was struck by a Houthi anti-ship ballistic missile on February 18, 2024, causing the crew to abandon ship. The vessel then slowly took on water until finally sinking on March 2, 2024.^[6]
• At approximately 11:30 a.m. (Sanaa time) March 6, 2024, an ASBM was launched from Yemen by the Ansar Allah toward MV True Confidence, while transiting the Gulf of Aden. According to CENTCOM, there were at least three confirmed casualties of the multinational crew with few more severe injuries.

The first combat shootdown of an ASBM was achieved by the destroyer USS Laboon on December 26, 2023.^[10] By January 9th, a total of seven Houthi ASBMs had been successfully intercepted by the U.S. Navy.^[10] On January 24, 2024, USS Gravely shot down two Houthi ASBMs.^[11] On January 26, 2024, USS Carney also successfully intercepted a Houthi ASBM.^[11]

The United States Navy fields what some experts believe to be the best midcourse anti-ballistic defense in the world,^[12] and is developing high powered lasers for terminal-defense against anti-ship ballistic missiles.^[13] The U.S. arsenal has a variety of potential countermeasures.^[12] According to a senior political scientist at the RAND 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 be jammed or spoofed.^[14][15]

The 4K18 was a Soviet Union intermediate-range ballistic anti-ship missile (also known as R-27K, where "K" stands for korabelnaya which means "ship-related") NATO reporting name: SS-NX-13. Initial submarine testing began on 9 December 1972 on board K-102, a Golf-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 a circular 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 the SALT agreement, and they were considered more important.

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 the DF-21D.^[19] In 2010, it was reported that China had entered the DF-21D into its early operational stage for deployment.^[20]

The DF-26, first revealed on the 2015 Victory Day Parade, is also able to carry anti-ship warheads, possibly hypersonic glide vehicles like the DF-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 a second-generation ASBM using hypersonic maneuverable reentry vehicle technology tested on the DF-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 the YJ-21 anti-ship ballistic missiles along with the YJ-18 anti-ship cruise missiles in GJB 5860-2006 vertical launch system.

The Indian Navy currently has ship launched Dhanush ballistic missiles in use for anti-ship roles. It has a range of 750 km (470 mi) capable of anti-ship operations.^[23] Another missile Agni-P, a technology spin off variant of Agni-IV and Agni-V has been speculated to be capable of undertaking ASBM roles or predecessor of a carrier-killer missile currently under development.^[24]

Till September 2022, DRDO had completed design work of another land-based 1,500 km (930 mi) range missile to attack targets across Line of Actual Control with an anti ship variant against aircraft carriers to cover Indian carriers in the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea.^[25]

An unknown Long-range Anti-ship Hypersonic Ballistic Missile was tested at the Integrated Test Range, Abdul Kalam Island on 16 November 2024 with a range of over 1,500 kilometres (930 mi). To be primarily used by the Indian Navy from shore-based launchers.^[26][27]

In February 2011, Iran demonstrated a short-range anti-ship ballistic missile named Persian Gulf or Khalij Fars, a missile based on the Fateh-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).^[28] Later, Iran introduced the Hormuz missile with anti-ship capability.^[29] In 2020, Iran unveiled the Zulfiqar Basir, an anti-ship variant of the Zulfiqar with a range of 700 km (430 mi).^[29] Iran also reports successful test of the Emad missile to target aircraft carriers at a range of more than 1,000 km (620 mi).

Pakistan Navy successfully conducted flight test of an indigenously developed ship-launched anti-ship ballistic missile with a 350-kilometer range named SMASH 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.^[30]

• Anti-ship missile
• Cruise missile
• Surface-to-surface missile
• Anti-ballistic missile
• Anti-ballistic missile treaty
• Atmospheric reentry
• Prompt Global Strike

• Executive overview: Jane's Strategic Weapon Systems, July 2008
• An introduction to ballistic missiles
• Aviation Week Archived 22 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine
• China’s Evolving Conventional Strategic Strike Capability: The Anti-Ship Ballistic Missile Challenge to U.S. Maritime Operations in the Western Pacific and Beyond, Project 2049 Institute, September 2009
• Using The Land To Control The Sea?: Chinese Analysts Consider the Anti-ship Ballistic Missile, Naval War College, September 2009