A new weapon, an air-launched ballistic missile, or ALBM, for China’s Xi’an H-6K bombers, has emerged. While its origins are unconfirmed, the missile looks very similar to the CM-401, previously known as a truck- or ship-launched anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM) that is also capable of hitting static land targets. The latest development seems to point again to the considerable efforts Beijing is making to increase its advanced air-launched anti-shipping capability, which is becoming a fundamental part of its wider and fast-evolving anti-access/area-denial (A2/AD) strategy. But even if this is not intended to be an air-launched ASBM, or at least not in its first iterations, the ability to unleash it on land targets is very concerning, as well.
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