ICBM
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 be developing an ICBM system.
Early ICBMs formed the basis of many space launch systems. Examples include: Atlas, Delta, Titan, R-7, and Proton. Modern ICMBs tend to be smaller (due to increased accuracy and smaller and lighter warheads) and use solid fuels, making them less useful as launche vehicles.
Modern ICBMs typically carry multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles (MIRVs), each of which carries a seperate nuclear warhead, allowing a single missile to hit multiple targets. MIRV was an outgrowth of the rapidly shrinking size and weight of modern warheads. 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:
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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