Pakistan Navy's 'SMASH' Missile Exposed: Striking Similarities to Chinese CM-401 ASBM Raises MTCR Violation Concerns

The Pakistan Navy recently test-fired a new ship-based ballistic missile, dubbed "SMASH," with a reported range of 350 kilometers. However, Indian Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) networks suggest this missile is likely a Chinese import based on the CM-401 Anti-Ship Ballistic Missile (ASBM), raising concerns about potential violations of the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR). This development underscores Pakistan's increasing reliance on Chinese technology to bolster its maritime strike capabilities, particularly against larger naval vessels.

The SMASH missile, internally known as P-282, bears a striking resemblance to the Chinese-developed CM-401 ASBM. Designed to target ships, fleets, and harbor installations, the CM-401 is a formidable weapon due to its advanced trajectory and high speed. By acquiring this technology, Pakistan gains the ability to precisely target high-value naval assets at a speed that challenges traditional defenses.

Key features of the CM-401, and by extension, the SMASH missile, include:​

• Near-Space Trajectory: The missile ascends to near-space altitudes before descending towards its target, making interception more difficult.
• Supersonic Maneuverability: The missile maintains supersonic speeds throughout its flight, utilizing maneuverable trajectories that complicate tracking and interception efforts.
• Terminal-Dive and Top-Attack Capabilities: The missile's final approach involves a steep dive, enabling a top-attack on the target, exploiting the weaker defenses on the upper sections of ships.
• Adaptive Launch Platforms: The missile can be launched from various platforms, providing operational flexibility.
• Multi-Trajectory Coordination: The missile can coordinate multiple trajectories to enhance its ability to penetrate defensive layers.

These characteristics make the SMASH missile particularly effective against modern naval defenses, which are often designed to counter more predictable, lower-speed missiles.

Furthering suspicions of Chinese origin, the SMASH missile's design closely resembles Pakistan's recently inducted Fatah-II Close-Range Ballistic Missile (CRBM). The visual similarities between the Fatah-II's airframe and the P-282 suggest a shared design lineage with the CM-401, possibly indicating the use of standardized components across Pakistan's new missile platforms.

China's apparent supply of CM-401 ASBM technology to Pakistan, rebranded as the SMASH missile, highlights the deepening defence cooperation between the two nations. This transfer of technology allows Pakistan to rapidly enhance its military capabilities without the need for lengthy indigenous development.

By providing Pakistan with the CM-401 design, China delivers ready-made stealth, speed, and precision capabilities, which would otherwise take Pakistan years to develop independently. This collaboration serves China's broader strategic objectives of countering regional adversaries and projecting influence through proxy support.

The introduction of the SMASH missile significantly enhances Pakistan's ability to engage high-value maritime targets with precision, speed, and resilience against interception. This development is likely to impact the regional balance of naval power and deterrence dynamics, particularly for India, which may need to accelerate its development of advanced naval and missile defence systems to counter this emerging threat.

Potential MTCR Violation​

The MTCR aims to limit the proliferation of missiles and missile technology capable of carrying weapons of mass destruction. While the CM-401 itself is designed to stay within MTCR guidelines with a range under 300km, the reported 350km range of the SMASH missile raises concerns about potential violations. This could have implications for both China and Pakistan's relationships with other MTCR member countries.

 

[UKumar]

I have a doubt, as per MTCR the missile rage should be max 290KM how come China and providing Pakistan 350KM rage missile?

 

[Dredd]

I have a doubt, as per MTCR the missile rage should be max 290KM how come China and providing Pakistan 350KM rage missile?

because it not official export, like all the other missiles they have.

 

[Sridhar]

I have a doubt, as per MTCR the missile rage should be max 290KM how come China and providing Pakistan 350KM rage missile?

Chinese supplied M11 Missiles to PAK. Chinese helped Pak in nuclear weapons manufacturing. Did they not know about nuclear non proliferation policies. Chinese are known to break every single rule to suit their convenience.

 

[Man-ju]

I have a doubt, as per MTCR the missile rage should be max 290KM how come China and providing Pakistan 350KM rage missile?

Chinese application to MTCR was rejected based on proliferation. Neither China nor Pakistan are signatories of MTCR.

 

[Sandeep]

Another cheap, inferior, unintelligent, unreliable, problematic import from China which just shows what Pakistan and its people are actually like. India has a better Brahmos missile which can sink frigates and destroyers with just a few missiles. We also have a better interception missile which can score a kinetic kill with the Barak 8 missile.

 

[sandy 007]

I have a doubt, as per MTCR the missile rage should be max 290KM how come China and providing Pakistan 350KM rage missile?

these Pakistanis are just doing screwdriver job, Rebranding Chinese item's are fashion for them they show these to their Muslim umma also but fact is that with such a small fund's what they purchase from china, To my surprise they use 100% IMF fund's for their military build up. They beg from Gulf countries for the arm's and ammunition and money with that money also they buy military ammunition.
They get many advance radar arms and ammunition from Turkey, US, Saudi Arab also and now a days China too.
Pakistanis PM visit US and beg for military AID and UAE for Food Aid.