Pakistan Unveils SMASH Dual-Role Hypersonic Missile at World Defence Show 2026

Global Industrial & Defence Solutions (GIDS) has unveiled the SMASH hypersonic anti-ship ballistic missile at the World Defence Show 2026 in Riyadh, presenting the system as a dual-role weapon intended for both maritime strike and land-attack missions.

The introduction comes amid growing regional interest in long-range precision strike systems capable of operating in contested environments and complicating modern air and missile defence architectures.

Context: Demand for Long-Range Precision and Sea Denial

Displayed alongside a widening range of extended-range strike solutions, SMASH is being positioned for customers prioritising coastal defence, sea denial, and the ability to hold high-value infrastructure at risk from standoff distances. GIDS emphasises performance characteristics such as high terminal speed, guidance continuity until impact, and a steep terminal attack profile—features commonly cited as contributing to survivability against layered defences.

Anti-Ship Configuration: Published Capabilities

In its maritime strike configuration, SMASH is credited with a range of 290 kilometres and a 384-kilogram unitary blast/blast-fragmentation warhead. Guidance is described as HDGNS-assisted inertial navigation combined with an active radar seeker, while propulsion is provided by a single-stage, dual-thrust solid rocket motor.

GIDS states a circular error probable (CEP) of 10 metres or less, with terminal velocity presented as greater than Mach 2. Operationally, the pairing of inertial navigation with an organic seeker suggests a flight profile in which mid-course stability is maintained with limited external dependence, followed by terminal acquisition designed to support target discrimination in cluttered maritime environments, including against manoeuvring vessels or near shorelines.

Land-Attack Variant: Heavier Payload, Common Architecture

For land-attack missions, GIDS outlines a parallel configuration retaining the same 290-kilometre range, but with an increased 444-kilogram unitary blast/blast-fragmentation warhead. Guidance remains based on HDGNS-assisted inertial navigation, without reference to the active radar seeker cited for the anti-ship role.

The land-attack variant is associated with a stated CEP of 15 metres or less, while terminal speed again exceeds Mach 2. The heavier payload points toward optimisation against fixed or semi-hardened targets, where blast effects outweigh target manoeuvre considerations. Retaining a common propulsion system across variants reduces complexity in training, storage, and lifecycle support.

Design Philosophy: One Missile Family, Multiple Effects

GIDS places emphasis on a shared propulsion and core architecture underpinning both maritime and land-attack roles. Such an approach allows operators to diversify effects without multiplying logistics chains, an argument that resonates with forces seeking depth of fire under fiscal constraints.

The company’s focus on steep terminal geometry and high end-game performance is likely intended to be read in the context of layered air and missile defences, where complicating interception geometry can be as consequential as raw velocity.

Strategic Signalling and Export Positioning

The Riyadh display underscores Pakistan’s intent to present indigenous missile developments to an international audience and to position SMASH within a competitive market for long-range precision strike systems. Across the Middle East and beyond, procurement discussions increasingly centre on mobility, dispersed launch concepts, and deterrence credibility derived from the ability to threaten naval formations or critical land assets.

Within that framing, SMASH is presented as a modular system built around common components, adaptable payloads, and mission profiles aligned with contemporary expectations of reach and accuracy.

Assessment

The unveiling of SMASH does not constitute an operational declaration or confirmed procurement outcome. Rather, it represents a measured positioning effort by Pakistan’s defence industry within a market that is steadily shifting toward long-range, precision-guided systems designed for contested environments.

Whether SMASH translates into export success will depend on factors extending beyond headline performance, including integration pathways, doctrine fit, sustainment, and customer confidence in long-term support.