Intercontinental ballistic missile |
Titan 1 ICBM Underground Silo Complex
Intercontinental ballistic missiles or ICBMs are long-range missiles using a ballistic trajectory involving a significant ascent and descent including suborbital and partial orbital
trajectories. An ICBM differs little technically from other ballistic
missiles such as the IRBM, SRBM or newly named theatre ballistic missile; they are differentiated by way of maximum range. The maximum
range of ICBMs is defined by arms control agreements, which prohibit orbital or fractional-orbital weapons. Only three nations
currently have operational ICBM systems, the United States, Russia, and the People's Republic of China, although North
Korea is believed to be developing an ICBM system.
Early ICBMs formed the basis of many space launch systems. Examples include: Atlas, Delta, Redstone_rocket, Titan, R-7,
and Proton. Modern ICBMs tend to be smaller (due to increased
accuracy and smaller and lighter warheads) and use solid fuels, making them less useful as launch vehicles.
Modern ICBMs typically carry multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles (MIRVs), each
of which carries a separate nuclear warhead, allowing a single missile
to hit multiple targets. MIRV was an outgrowth of the rapidly shrinking size and weight of modern warheads and the Strategic Arms
Limitation Treaties which imposed limitations on the number of launch vehicles(SALT_I
and SALT_II). It has also proved to be an "easy answer" to the deployment of ABM systems – it is far less expensive to add more
warheads to an existing missile system than to build an ABM system capable of shooting down the additional warheads. In addition,
modern ICBMs tend to use solid fuel, which can be stored easily for long periods of time, and are based either in missile silos, which offer some protection from a first strike, or on submarines or rail cars, which are mobile and therefore hard to find.
The low flying, guided cruise missile is an alternative to ballistic missiles.
Specific types of US ballistic missiles include:
Specific types of Soviet/Russian ICBMs include:
- SS-6 SAPWOOD / R-7 / 8K71
- SS-7 SADDLER / R-16
- SS-8 SASIN
- SS-9 SCARP
- SS-11 SEGO
- SS-17 SPANKER
- SS-19 STILLETO
- SS-20 SABER
- SS-24 SCALPEL
- SS-25 SICKLE
Specific types of ballistic missile submarines include:
See also: SLBM, Anti-ballistic missile, Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, nuclear disarmament, nuclear warfare,
submarine
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