Radars find it hard to detect these missiles as they come down vertically, and their larger warheads make them potent. The united ontop of that, they can be programmed to adjust their trajectory mid-flight to hit their target, making them nearly unstoppable.

The US hasn’t focused much on developing its own anti-ship ballistic missiles, but with China’s rapid naval expansion, including the development of aircraft carriers and other warships, this is changing. The US is now working on upgrading the Tomahawk cruise missile to target ships at sea and is developing a new long-range anti-ship missile.

However, building anti-ship ballistic missiles is extremely challenging. It’s difficult to find and track a moving target like a ship, and even once you do, it’s hard to keep track of it in real-time. Satellites can be used for tracking, but they have limited visibility and resolution, and radar systems have their own limitations. The US used to rely on Soviet reconnaissance aircraft to track Soviet carrier strike groups, but these planes were vulnerable to interception and offered limited range and speed.

The US’ lack of focus on anti-ship ballistic missiles in the past was due to the Soviet Union’s limited naval capabilities. The US relied on carrier-based aircraft to play the anti-ship role. However, with China’s growing naval power and the US’ decision to pull out of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, the situation has changed.

One potential solution is to base these missiles on land, but logistical and political challenges would need to be overcome. Another option is to deploy them on submarines, as the Soviet Union had planned with the R-27K. The US is currently exploring the possibility of adapting its Virginia-class submarines to carry ballistic missiles, which could reach targets at sea.

The SM-6 missile, originally designed to target aircraft, has been modified to hit ships at a range of a few hundred kilometers, although its warhead is too small to sink a ship. However, can disable a ship’s systems, rendering it ineffective in battle. The US is currently developing a new precision strike missile that can hit ships at sea, with a range of 500 kilometers, making it a potential game-changer in the region.