India, Nov. 27 -- Pakistani social media circles have been celebrating what has been described as a historic naval breakthrough: the maiden launch of a hypersonic, ship-launched anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM) said to strike targets up to 850 km away. According to these claims, the missile, dubbed "SMASH", is claimed to have vaulted Pakistan into an elite club of maritime powers alongside China and the United States.

A short video of a projectile leaving the deck of PNS Tippu Sultan was promoted as visual proof of a new naval deterrent capable of holding Indian aircraft carriers like INS Vikrant at risk far into the Arabian Sea.

But a closer examination of Pakistan's industrial capabilities, the design of the ship used for the firing...