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CM-400

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
CM-400 / CM-400AKG
MIG-29 of Serbian Air Force and Air Defence carrying CM-400 anti-ship missile
Type
Place of originChina
Service history
In service2012–present
Used by Pakistan Air Force
 Serbian Air Force and Air Defence
Production history
ManufacturerChina Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC)
Specifications
Mass910 kg (2,010 lb)
Length510 cm (16.7 ft)
Diameter400 mm (16 in)
Warhead150–200 kg (330–440 lb) warhead
EngineSolid-fuel rocket motor[1]
Operational
range
250 km (160 mi; 130 nmi)
Maximum speedMach 3 to 5
Guidance
system
INS - GNSS + IR/TV Seeker
Launch
platform
JF-17
MiG-29

The CM-400 is a family of Chinese supersonic air-launched missiles that includes anti-ship missile and anti-radiation missile variants manufactured by China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC).

Development and history

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The CM-400AKG was unveiled at the 2012 China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition,[2] where it was claimed to have entered service on Pakistan Air Force CAC/PAC JF-17 Thunders.[3] At the 2013 Dubai Airshow, a Pakistani military source claimed the missile was in Chinese service, and that an anti-ship version was in development. In 2014, a PAF JF-17 was spotted carrying two – possibly mock-up – CM-400AKGs, suggesting the missile was still in development.[2]

At the 2013 Paris Air Show, Fábrica Argentina de Aviones officials revealed the missile's performance was a major reason for their interest in co-producing the JF-17.[2]

Design

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The CM-400AKG supersonic anti-ship missile is a derivative of the SY-400 guided rocket, also developed by the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC).[2]

The CM-400AKG is advertised as having a 510 cm (16.7 ft) length, a 400 mm (16 in) diameter, a mass of 910 kg (2,010 lb), and a range of 100–240 km (62–149 mi; 54–130 nmi),[2] and capable of carrying either a 150 kg (330 lb) blast warhead or a 200 kg (440 lb) penetrator warhead.[4] It has a high cruise altitude and a steep terminal dive (semi-ballistic flight profile[5]), with a maximum terminal speed of Mach 4.5 to Mach 5. Seeker options include "INS + GNSS + Passive Radar Seeker," potentially for anti-ship with a circular error probable (CEP) of 5 m (16 ft)., and "INS-GNSS+IR/TV Seeker", with a CEP of 5–10 m (16–33 ft).[2] Pakistan air force officials described the missile as "an aircraft carrier killer."[3]

In the aftermath of the 2025 India–Pakistan conflict, Pakistan Air Force officials claimed that CM-400AKG has a range of 400 km (250 mi), a terminal locking range of 30 km (19 mi), a speed of Mach 5, and a passive mode for anti-radiation and suppression of enemy air defenses (SEAD) missions.[6]

Operational history

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Pakistan

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The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) reportedly purchased 60 CM-400AKG missiles from China in 2017 and 2018.[7]

The CM-400AKG saw its first-ever live combat use during the 2025 India–Pakistan conflict, when the PAF used the missiles to target an Indian S-400 air defence system.[8] The SEAD mission reportedly involved a flight of 3 JF-17 Block II aircraft from 14 Squadron (nicknamed as the ‘Tail Choppers’) at the Rafiqui Air Base, each carrying 2 CM-400 missiles while being escorted by 2 other JF-17s in order to target an S-400 radar systme.[9][10][11] The S-400's location was found by sending YIHA-III loitering munitions, which reportedly forced the system's radar to reveal its location.[12] The CM-400AKG missiles on the JF-17s had anti-radiation seekers and were launched with the intent of destroying the 96L6E "Cheesboard" radar at Adampur airbase which acted as the "eyes" of the air defence system. According to reports, the strike effectively neutralized the battery.[13][14][11][15][12] The Indian Air Force claimed that at least 60 missiles were fired towards the S-400 complex at Adampur airbase over the course of four days, and stated that the missile were launched with varying profiles, flying at speeds ranging from Mach 3.3 to Mach 5, but claimed that none of the missiles hit the S-400 launcher.[16] The claim of 60 such missiles was in spite of the fact that a single JF-17 can only carry 2 CM-400AKGs at a single time.[17] Later-released low-resolution satellite imagery of the Adampur airbase, which was analysed by independent defence observers, had revealed evidence of burn marks and local disturbances on the ground at the suspected S-400 site, suggesting the missiles may have either successfully struck or degraded key major components of the air defence battery, such as potentially the radar.[10] Later, the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi visited the Adampur Air Force Station in Punjab on 13 May 2025, and posed in front of an S-400 system in the background that at least visually appeared undamaged.[18][19] The Indian Prime Minister's photo op at Adampur airbase, posing in front of the S-400 launchers,[17] did not show the 96L6E radar, which was what the PAF had claimed to have target and was not shown in the pictures taken, something also pointed out by the PAF's commander, Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmad Babar Sidhu.[11][15]

Serbia

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In March 2026, images were published online showing the integration of the CM-400 onto Serbian Air Force and Air Defence MiG-29s.[1] In May 2026, the then-President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić justified the purchase by stating that the during the May 2025 India–Pakistan conflict, a Pakistani CM-400 had neutralized an Indian S-400 battery by destroying its radar. Vučić cited Chinese reconnaissance satellites and signals pickup by French radars as proof of the S-400's radar being neutralized by the CM-400 during the conflict.[a]

Operators

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 Pakistan

 Serbia

Notes

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  1. ↑ Multiple sources:
    • Vinh, Thành (2026-05-31). "The Serbian president praised the CM-400AKG missile for its ability to destroy the S-400 system". Báo và Phát thanh, Truyền hình Nghệ An. Retrieved 2026-07-21.

References

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  1. 1 2 Newdick, Thomas (2026-03-10). "Serbian MiG-29 Appears Armed With Chinese Supersonic Standoff Missiles". The War Zone. Retrieved 2026-03-14.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Richard D. Fisher Jr. (2014-10-22). "Images show JF-17 flying with CM-400AKG hypersonic ASM". janes.com. Archived from the original on 2015-07-10. Retrieved 2015-05-15.
  3. 1 2 Richard D Fisher Jr (2014-10-22). "Images show JF-17 flying with CM-400AKG hypersonic ASM". IHS Jane's Defence Weekly. Archived from the original on 2015-07-10. Retrieved 2015-08-18.
  4. ↑ Stephen Trimble (2013-11-19). "DUBAI: China details performance of 'carrier killer' missile for JF-17". flightglobal.com. Reed Business Information. Archived from the original on 2017-10-17. Retrieved 2017-11-29.
  5. ↑ "First Strike in the Hypersonic Era: Pakistan Claims JF-17-Launched CM-400AKG Took Out India's S-400". Defence Security Asia. 11 May 2025.
  6. ↑ Warnes, Alan (19 September 2025). "XCLUSIVE: Full article - Understanding the Rafale kills". AirForce Monthly. No. November 2025. p. 43-58.
  7. 1 2 Axe, David (2021-11-10). "The Pakistani Air Force's Strange New Chinese Missiles". The National Interest. Retrieved 2025-11-21.
  8. ↑ Tong, Zhang (2025-05-14). "China reveals tech 'breakthrough' behind Pakistan's hypersonic strike on India". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 2025-11-21.
  9. ↑ "Images show JF-17 flying with CM-400AKG hypersonic ASM - IHS Jane's 360". www.janes.com. Archived from the original on 2015-10-18. Retrieved 2026-05-22.
  10. 1 2 "A close call". www.key.aero. 2016-12-08. Retrieved 2026-07-23.
  11. 1 2 3 "Full article - Understanding the Rafale kills". www.key.aero. 2025-09-19. Retrieved 2026-07-22.
  12. 1 2 "How Pakistan thwarted India's attempt to destroy its air defences". The News International. 2025-05-18. Retrieved 2026-07-23.
  13. ↑ admin (2025-05-17). "Where's the Radar ? Modi's S-400 Photo-Op Backfires Amid Pakistani Strike Claims". Defence Security Asia. Retrieved 2026-05-22.
  14. ↑ "Pak JF-17 Thunder strike destroys Indian S400 air defence system". dunyanews.tv. 2025-05-10. Retrieved 2026-05-22.
  15. 1 2 "Evidence Emerges of S-400 System Components Destroyed in India: Operator's Obituary Published". Militarnyi. Retrieved 2026-07-22.
  16. ↑ Som, Vishnu (2026). The Sky Warriors: Operation Sindoor Unveiled. Juggernaut. p. 77. ISBN 9789353459567.
  17. 1 2 ""India Is Eternally Grateful": PM Modi Visits Soldiers At Adampur Airbase". www.ndtv.com. Archived from the original on 2025-07-24. Retrieved 2026-05-22.
  18. ↑ "PM Modi poses in front of S-400 missile system at Adampur Air Base days after Pakistan claimed it was destroyed". The Times of India. 13 May 2025. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 13 May 2025.
  19. ↑ "Modi fact-checks Pakistan, visits Adampur, releases video & photo with S-400 in background". The Print. 13 May 2025. Retrieved 13 May 2025.
  20. ↑ Vojinović, Petar (2026-03-09). "[POSLEDNJA VEST] Vojska Srbije poseduje balističke supersonične rakete: Srpski MiG-ovi 29SM+ uočeni kako nose kineske rakete vazduh-zemlja CM400" ["[BREAKING NEWS] Serbian Armed Force own supersonic ballistic missiles: Serbian MiG 29SM+ spotted carrying Chinese CM-400 air-to-surface missiles"]. Tango Six (in Serbian). Retrieved 2026-03-09.
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