The U.S. Office of Naval Intelligence has reportedly found that China is close to fielding an anti-ship ballistic missile, according to a Nov. 17 story broken by Bloomberg. This development has been on the horizon for some time , but many questions remain about this new weapon system and its true capabilities. Despite these questions, the matter is of deep concern for the U.S. Navy as the capability holds considerable promise if China masters it. Anti-Ship vs. Ballistic Missiles Anti-ship missiles are generally closer to cruise missiles in configuration and flight profile. There are important reasons for this. Even a large warship is a relatively small target that can maneuver. Whether an anti-ship missile closes to its target while skimming the surface of the water or from a higher altitude, its range can be between one and several hundred kilometers.