Intercontinental ballistic missile
An intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) is a ballistic missile with a range greater than 5,500 kilometres (3,400 mi),[1] primarily designed for nuclear weapons delivery (delivering one or more thermonuclear warheads). Conventional, chemical, and biological weapons can also be delivered with varying effectiveness, but have never been deployed on ICBMs. Most modern designs support multiple independently targetable reentry vehicle (MIRVs), allowing a single missile to carry several warheads, each of which can strike a different target. The United States, Russia, China, France, India, the United Kingdom, Israel, and North Korea are the only countries known to have operational ICBMs.
Early ICBMs had limited precision, which made them suitable for use only against the largest targets, such as cities. They were seen as a "safe" basing option, one that would keep the deterrent force close to home where it would be difficult to attack. Attacks against military targets (especially hardened ones) demanded the use of a more precise, crewed bomber. Second- and third-generation designs (such as the LGM-118 Peacekeeper) dramatically improved accuracy to the point where even the smallest point targets can be successfully attacked.
ICBMs are differentiated by having greater range and speed than other ballistic missiles: intermediate-range ballistic missiles (IRBMs), medium-range ballistic missiles (MRBMs), short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) and tactical ballistic missiles.
History
World War II
The first practical design for an ICBM grew out of Nazi Germany's V-2 rocket program. The liquid-fueled V-2, designed by Wernher von Braun and his team, was then widely used by Nazi Germany from mid-1944 until March 1945 to bomb British and Belgian cities, particularly Antwerp and London.
Under Projekt Amerika, von Braun's team developed the
After the war, the US executed
This technology was predicted by US General of the Army
Someday, not too distant, there can come streaking out of somewhere – we won't be able to hear it, it will come so fast – some kind of gadget with an explosive so powerful that one projectile will be able to wipe out completely this city of Washington.[2][3]
Cold War
After World War II, the Americans and the Soviets started rocket research programs based on the V-2 and other German wartime designs. Each branch of the US military started its own programs, leading to considerable duplication of effort. In the Soviet Union, rocket research was centrally organized although several teams worked on different designs.
In the Soviet Union, early development was focused on missiles able to attack European targets. That changed in 1953, when
It was the same
The US initiated ICBM research in 1946 with the
The R-7 and Atlas each required a large launch facility, making them vulnerable to attack, and could not be kept in a ready state. Failure rates were very high throughout the early years of ICBM technology. Human spaceflight programs (Vostok, Mercury, Voskhod, Gemini, etc.) served as a highly visible means of demonstrating confidence in reliability, with successes translating directly to national defense implications. The US was well behind the Soviets in the Space Race and so US President John F. Kennedy increased the stakes with the Apollo program, which used Saturn rocket technology that had been funded by President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
These early ICBMs also formed the basis of many space launch systems. Examples include
The Western view of the deployment of these systems was governed by the strategic theory of mutual assured destruction. In the 1950s and 1960s, development began on anti-ballistic missile systems by both the Americans and Soviets. Such systems were restricted by the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty. The first successful ABM test was conducted by the Soviets in 1961, which later deployed a fully operational system defending Moscow in the 1970s (see Moscow ABM system).
The 1972
In the 1980s, President Ronald Reagan launched the Strategic Defense Initiative as well as the MX and Midgetman ICBM programs.
China developed a minimal independent nuclear deterrent entering its own cold war after an ideological split with the Soviet Union beginning in the early 1960s. After first testing a domestic built nuclear weapon in 1964, it went on to develop various warheads and missiles. Beginning in the early 1970s, the liquid fuelled DF-5 ICBM was developed and used as a satellite launch vehicle in 1975. The DF-5, with a range of 10,000 to 12,000 km (6,200 to 7,500 mi)—long enough to strike the Western United States and the Soviet Union—was silo deployed, with the first pair in service by 1981 and possibly twenty missiles in service by the late 1990s.[9] China also deployed the JL-1 Medium-range ballistic missile with a reach of 1,700 kilometres (1,100 mi) aboard the ultimately unsuccessful type 92 submarine.[10]
Post–Cold War
In 1991, the United States and the Soviet Union agreed in the START I treaty to reduce their deployed ICBMs and attributed warheads.
As of 2016[update], all five of the nations with permanent seats on the United Nations Security Council have fully operational long-range ballistic missile systems; Russia, the United States, and China also have land-based ICBMs (the US missiles are silo-based, while China and Russia have both silo and road-mobile (DF-31, RT-2PM2 Topol-M missiles).
Israel is believed to have deployed a road mobile nuclear ICBM, the Jericho III, which entered service in 2008; an upgraded version is in development.[11][12]
India successfully test fired Agni V, with a strike range of more than 5,000 km (3,100 mi) on 19 April 2012, claiming entry into the ICBM club.[13] The missile's actual range is speculated by foreign researchers to be up to 8,000 km (5,000 mi) with India having downplayed its capabilities to avoid causing concern to other countries.[14] On 15 December 2022, first night trial of Agni-V was successfully carried out by SFC from Abdul Kalam Island, Odisha. The missile is now 20 percent lighter because the use of composite materials rather than steel material. The range has been increased to 7,000 km.[15]
By 2012 there was speculation by some
In July 2014, China announced the development of its newest generation of ICBM, the Dongfeng-41 (DF-41), which has a range of 12,000 kilometres (7,500 miles), capable of reaching the United States, and which analysts believe is capable of being outfitted with MIRV technology.[18]
Most countries in the early stages of developing ICBMs have used liquid propellants, with the known exceptions being the
The
In July 2023, North Korea fired a suspected intercontinental ballistic missile that was expected to land short of Japanese waters. The launch follows North Korea's threat to retaliate against the US for alleged spy plane incursions.[26]
Flight phases
The following flight phases can be distinguished:[27][28]
- solid-fuel rocket than for a liquid-propellant rocket. Depending on the trajectory chosen, typical burnout speed is 4 km/s (2.5 mi/s), up to 7.8 km/s (4.8 mi/s). The altitude of the missile at the end of this phase is typically 150 to 400 km (93 to 249 mi).
- chaff, and full-scale warhead decoys.
- Reentry/Terminal phase, which lasts two minutes starting at an altitude of 100 km; 62 mi. At the end of this phase, the missile's payload will impact the target, with impact at a speed of up to 7 km/s (4.3 mi/s) (for early ICBMs less than 1 km/s (0.62 mi/s)); see also maneuverable reentry vehicle.
ICBMs usually use the trajectory which optimizes range for a given amount of payload (the minimum-energy trajectory); an alternative is a
Modern ICBMs
This section needs additional citations for verification. (September 2022) |
Modern ICBMs typically carry
ICBMs can be deployed from multiple platforms:
- In first strike)
- On submarines: submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs); most or all SLBMs have the long range of ICBMs (as opposed to IRBMs)
- On heavy trucks: this applies to one version of the mobile launcher, capable of moving through roadless terrain, and launching a missile from any point along its route
- Mobile launchers on rails; this applies, for example, to РТ-23УТТХ "Молодец" (RT-23UTTH "Molodets" – SS-24 "Scalpel")
The last three kinds are mobile and therefore hard to detect prior to a missile launch. During storage, one of the most important features of the missile is its serviceability. One of the key features of the first
After launch, a
Although the
Once the booster falls away, the remaining "bus" releases several warheads, each of which continues on its own unpowered ballistic trajectory, much like an artillery shell or cannonball. The warhead is encased in a cone-shaped reentry vehicle and is difficult to detect in this phase of flight as there is no rocket exhaust or other emissions to mark its position to defenders. The high speeds of the warheads make them difficult to intercept and allow for little warning, striking targets many thousands of kilometers away from the launch site (and due to the possible locations of the submarines: anywhere in the world) within approximately 30 minutes.[citation needed]
Many[who?] authorities say that missiles also release aluminized balloons, electronic noisemakers, and other decoys intended to confuse interception devices and radars.[citation needed]
As the nuclear warhead reenters the Earth's atmosphere, its high-speed causes compression of the air, leading to a dramatic rise in temperature which would destroy it, if it were not shielded in some way. In one design, warhead components are contained within an aluminium honeycomb substructure, sheathed in a pyrolytic carbon-epoxy synthetic resin composite material heat shield.[citation needed] Warheads are also often radiation-hardened (to protect against nuclear armed ABMs or the nearby detonation of friendly warheads), one neutron-resistant material developed for this purpose in the UK is three-dimensional quartz phenolic.[citation needed]
Circular error probable is crucial, because halving the circular error probable decreases the needed warhead energy by a factor of four. Accuracy is limited by the accuracy of the navigation system and the available geodetic information.
Strategic missile systems are thought to use custom integrated circuits designed to calculate navigational differential equations thousands to millions of FLOPS in order to reduce navigational errors caused by calculation alone. These circuits are usually a network of binary addition circuits that continually recalculate the missile's position. The inputs to the navigation circuit are set by a general-purpose computer according to a navigational input schedule loaded into the missile before launch.
One particular weapon developed by the Soviet Union – the Fractional Orbital Bombardment System – had a partial orbital trajectory, and unlike most ICBMs its target could not be deduced from its orbital flight path. It was decommissioned in compliance with arms control agreements, which address the maximum range of ICBMs and prohibit orbital or fractional-orbital weapons. However, according to reports,[who?] Russia is working on the new Sarmat ICBM which leverages Fractional Orbital Bombardment concepts to use a Southern polar approach instead of flying over the northern polar regions.[citation needed] Using that approach, it is theorized, avoids the American missile defense batteries in California and Alaska.
New development of ICBM technology are ICBMs able to carry hypersonic glide vehicles as a payload such as RS-28 Sarmat.
In March 12 2024 India announced that it had joined a very limited group of countries, which are capable of firing multiple warheads on a single ICBM. The announcement came after successfully testing multiple independently targetable reentry vehicle (MIRV) technology.[32]
Specific ICBMs
Land-based ICBMs
Type | Minimum range (km) | Maximum range (km) | Country |
---|---|---|---|
LGM-30 Minuteman III | 14,000 | United States
| |
RS-28 Sarmat | 18,000 | Russia | |
RT-2UTTH "Topol M" (SS-27) | 11,000 | Russia | |
RS-24 "Yars" (SS-29) | 11,000 | Russia | |
RS-26 Rubezh | 6,000 | 12,600 | Russia |
UR-100N | 10,000 | Soviet Union/Russia | |
R-36 (SS-18) | 10,200 | 16,000 | Soviet Union/Russia |
DF-4 | 5,500 | 7,000 | China |
DF-31 | 7,200 | 11,200 | China |
DF-5 | 5,000 | 9,000 | China |
DF-41 | 12,000 | 15,000 | China |
Hwasong-14 | 6,700 | 10,000 | North Korea |
Hwasong-15 | 13,000 | North Korea | |
Hwasong-16 |
13,000 | North Korea | |
Hwasong-17 | 15,000 | North Korea | |
Hwasong-18 | 15,000 | North Korea | |
Agni-V | 7,000 | 10,000 | India |
Jericho III |
11,500 | Israel | |
LGM-35 Sentinel | United States
| ||
Agni-VI | 8,000 | 12,000 | India |
Surya | 12,000 | 16,000 | India |
LGM-30F Minuteman II | 11,265 | United States
| |
LGM-30A/B Minuteman I | 10,186 | United States
| |
LGM-118 Peacekeeper | 14,000 | United States
| |
Titan II (SM-68B, LGM-25C) | 16,000 | United States
| |
Titan I (SM-68, HGM-25A) | 11,300 | United States
| |
SM-65 Atlas (SM-65, CGM-16) | 10,138 | United States
| |
MGM-134 Midgetman | 11,000 | United States
| |
RTV-A-2 Hiroc | 2,400 | 8,000 | United States
|
RT-2 | 10,186 | Soviet Union | |
RT-23 Molodets | 11,000 | Soviet Union/Russia | |
RT-21 Temp 2S | 10,500 | Soviet Union | |
R-9 Desna | 16,000 | Soviet Union | |
R-16 | 13,000 | Soviet Union | |
R-26 | 12,000 | Soviet Union | |
MR-UR-100 Sotka | 1,000 | 10,320 | Soviet Union/Russia |
UR-100 | 10,600 | Soviet Union | |
UR-200 | 12,000 | Soviet Union | |
RT-20P | 11,000 | Soviet Union | |
R-7 Semyorka | 8,000 | 8,800 | Soviet Union |
Hwasong-13 | 1,500 | 12,000 | North Korea |
Russia, the United States, China, North Korea, India and Israel are the only countries currently known to possess land-based ICBMs.[33][34]
The United States currently operates 405 ICBMs in three
The Russian
China has developed several long-range ICBMs, like the DF-31. The Dongfeng 5 or DF-5 is a 3-stage liquid fuel ICBM and has an estimated range of 13,000 kilometers. The DF-5 had its first flight in 1971 and was in operational service 10 years later. One of the downsides of the missile was that it took between 30 and 60 minutes to fuel. The Dong Feng 31 (a.k.a. CSS-10) is a medium-range, three-stage, solid-propellant intercontinental ballistic missile, and is a land-based variant of the submarine-launched JL-2.
The
Israel is believed to have deployed a road mobile nuclear ICBM, the
India has a series of ballistic missiles called Agni. On 19 April 2012, India successfully test fired its first Agni-V, a three-stage solid fueled missile, with a strike range of more than 7,500 km (4,700 mi). Missile was test-fired for the second time on 15 September 2013.[13] On 31 January 2015, India conducted a third successful test flight of the Agni-V from the Abdul Kalam Island facility. The test used a canisterised version of the missile, mounted over a Tata truck.[42] On 15 December 2022, first night trial of Agni-V was successfully carried out by SFC from Abdul Kalam Island, Odisha. The missile is now 20 percent lighter because the use of composite materials rather than steel material. The range has been increased to 7,000 km.[15]
Submarine-launched ICBMs
Type | Minimum range (km) | Maximum range (km) | Country |
---|---|---|---|
UGM-133 Trident II (D5) | 12,000 | United States | |
RSM-54 R-29RMU "Sineva" | 11,500 | Russia | |
RSM-54 R-29RMU2 "Layner" | 8,300 | 12,000 | Russia |
RSM-56 R-30 "Bulava" | 8,000 | 9,300 | Russia |
M51 | 8,000 | 10,000 | France |
JL-2 | 7,400 | 8,000 | China |
JL-3 | 10,000 | 12,000 | China |
K-5 | 5,000 | India | |
K-6 | 8,000 | 12,000 | India |
M45[43] | 6,000 | France | |
UGM-96 Trident I (C-4) | 12,000 | United States | |
RSM-40[44] R-29 "Vysota" | 7,700 | Soviet Union/Russia | |
RSM-50 R-29R "Vysota" |
6,500 | Soviet Union/Russia | |
RSM-52 R-39 "Rif" |
8,300 | Soviet Union/Russia | |
RSM-54 R-29RM "Shtil" | 8,300 | Soviet Union/Russia |
Missile defense
An anti-ballistic missile is a missile which can be deployed to counter an incoming nuclear or non-nuclear ICBM. ICBMs can be intercepted in three regions of their trajectory: boost phase, mid-course phase or terminal phase. The United States, Russia, India, France, Israel, and China
See also
- Bernard Schriever
- DEFCON
- Dense Pack
- Emergency Action Message
- High-alert nuclear weapon
- ICBM address
- List of states with nuclear weapons
- Nuclear disarmament
- Nuclear navy
- Nuclear warfare
- Submarine
- Throw-weight
- Universal Rocket
- Project Koussar - alleged Iran ICBM program
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Further reading
- J. K. Golovanov, M., "Korolev: Facts and myths", ISBN 5-02-000822-2.
- "Rockets and people" – ISBN 5-217-02942-0(in Russian).
- "Testing of rocket and space technology – the business of my life" Events and facts – A.I. Ostashev, Korolyov, 2001. Bibliography 1996–2004
- "Nesterenko" series Lives of great people – Authors: Gregory Sukhina A., Ivkin, Vladimir Ivanovich, ISBN 978-5-235-03801-1.
External links
- Missile Threat A Project of the Center for Strategic and International Studies