China Displays Anti-ship Ballistic at Airshow China 2018

A Chinese company displayed an anti-ship ballistic missile system at the Airshow China 2018 in Zhuhai which it claims has unique features that make it stand out among precision-strike missiles.

China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation Limited (CASIC) showcased the anti-ship missile attack system, CM-401,  whose hypersonic ballistic missile that can reach as fast as Mach 6, according to a description the company released at the air show.

It can be launched into a near-space trajectory and is capable of hypersonic maneuverable flight throughout the course, the description said.

Upon reaching above its target, the CM-401 can conduct a terminal diving attack at extremely high velocity. The missile can deliver rapid and precise strikes on medium to large vessels, vessel formations and port targets, a CASIC brochure revealed.

A missile fired by the system can change trajectory in flight to target a moving ship, which is hard to achieve as the missiles fly very fast and the target could be moving unpredictably,  a military experts expert spoken to by Global Times said.

The CM-401 can be launched by various platforms and reach a ceiling distance of 290 kilometers, the company said. It can be launched using a land-based vehicle or a ship, according to a static display at the air show.

The missile is offered for sale to other countries, a company representative told the Global Times on Tuesday at the show.

Aside from the CM-401, CASIC is also displaying another anti-ship missile weapon system featuring the YJ-12E (CM-302) supersonic anti-ship missile and the C602, C802A/CM-802B and C705 subsonic anti-ship missile.