The Karachi example leads into a wider question about missile roles. Standard Missile and Sea Wolf were designed around air-defence tasks, yet surface-to-air weapons can sometimes be directed at ships. A purpose-built anti-ship missile is preferable when available, though commanders may have to use the weapon already aboard. Guidance limits and flight trajectory decide whether a specific missile can engage a surface target, so a secondary role does not make every system equally capable.
Notable Point · 2:54-3:39
When an air-defence missile becomes an anti-ship weapon
Standard Missile and Sea Wolf illustrate how air-defence weapons may acquire a secondary anti-ship role when no better option is available.