Was going through Trishul on the zhuhai updates when came upon this piece of info.
Questions Sherkhan (obviously a Pakistani as he was going on an on abt the CM 400): What is interesting from the JDW report (taken with a pinch) that PAF could well have a supersonic missile operational around the same time as IAF! There are number of reports out there quoting various specs, however PAF are in a lockdown as far has release of info goes at the moment. One thing is certain CM-400AKG will have an impact on the operational doc of IN.
Reply by Prasun: I wonder why the PAF has to be in lockdown mode as far as info on the CM-400AKG goers, since a lot more information has been officially given by its OEM to CCTV channels. If anyone understands Mandarin, then it will clearly emerge after listening to such interviews that the claimed terminal velocity of this missile is Mach 5.5, while the range envelopedepending on launch altitude-- is between 100km & 240km. As for the advent of such missiles having an impact on the naval doctrines of those navies that operate carrier battle groups, I dont foresee such a possibility. This is because gone are the days (like in 1971) when a carrier battle group had to cruise only 25nm away from hostile coastlines while launching/retrieving carrier-borne combat aircraft. Today, a distance of 150nm will have to be maintained despite the availability of 24/7 AEW & C capabilities. In an IN versus PN conflict scenario, a chain of TELs housing the PNs 290km-range C-602 ASCMs backed up by P-3C Orion Update 3 MRMR/ASW aircraft will be deployed to deter the INs carrier battle groups from approaching Pakistans coastline. But the PNs main challenge will be to breach the INs close-in anti-ASCM air-defences, which will be the Barak-2 MR-SAMs & EL/M-2248 MF-STAR AESA volume search radars on board at least three P-15A DDGs that will accompany each aircraft carrier, plus such weapons & sensors mounted on the aircraft carrier itself. Even if one considers the prospect of air-launched missiles like CM-400AKG being used, one will require at least 24 such missiles to be launched in swarms from 12 JF-17s (backed up by at least one Saab 2000 AEW & CS platform) in order to overwhelm the INs close-in air-defence systems. In fact, thats why the PLAN had acquired four Type 956E DDGs (each with eight Raduga-built Kh-41 Zubr supersonic ASCMs) since, as per Soviet naval doctrine, it would take at least 24 supersonic ASCMs (fired concurrently from warships, SSGNs & Tu-22M3s) to overwhelm the air-defences of a US Navy carrier battle group. Will the PAF therefore be able to simultaneously deploy 12 JF-17s with 24 CM-400AKGs & a Saab 2000 AEW & CS, or will it, along with the PN, launch a combined forces attack with C-602s & CM-400AKGs? In either scenario, the element of surprise will be lost very early since the C-602 is not exactly sea-skimming, while a flight of 12 JF-17s will be easily located by Ka-31 AEW helicopters while the JF-17s are still 250km away from the INs carrier battle group.
That is why I can only conclude that the PAF has gone for the CM-400AKG not for the sake of using them against naval targets, but against fixed land-based targets like industrial installations & transportation infrastructure, since it has realised that CALCMs like the Raad & the PAs Babur will no longer be effective against the IAFs air-defence systems like the EL/M-2084 AESA-based early warning/engagement radars & SpyDer-SR SHORADS combination, & the Barak-2/ELM-2258 combination.