The Zarb is a coastal defense and anti-ship cruise missile (ASCM) operated by the Pakistan Navy. It is a land-based version of the Chinese C-602 (an export variant of the YJ-62) missile system. The Zarb is designed to provide Pakistan with a powerful and mobile anti-access/area-denial (A2/AD) capability against naval threats in the Arabian Sea. It has a reported range of 280 kilometers and is capable of carrying a large 300 kg semi-armor-piercing warhead. The missile is powered by a turbojet engine and flies at high subsonic speeds. Its flight profile is designed to be a “sea-skimmer,” flying just meters above the water’s surface to stay below the radar horizon of enemy warships, making it extremely difficult to detect and intercept. The Zarb’s guidance system is a combination of inertial guidance and an active radar seeker for terminal homing, which allows it to lock on to a moving naval target in the final phase of its flight. The missile’s deployment on mobile launchers provides it with the flexibility to be rapidly deployed to various points along the coastline to protect Pakistan’s naval assets and strategic maritime zones. The Zarb significantly enhances the Pakistan Navy’s offensive capabilities against surface combatants.
- Type: Anti-Ship Cruise Missile (ASCM)
- Propulsion: Turbojet engine
- Range: 280 km
- Payload: 300 kg semi-armor-piercing warhead
- Guidance: Inertial guidance with an active radar seeker for terminal homing
- Launch Platform: Road-mobile coastal defense launchers
