Brigette59K: expand intro for consistency and cleaned formatting as per guidelines

2026-03-28T14:32:42Z

expand intro for consistency and cleaned formatting as per guidelines

>Nyq: lc common nouns

2022-01-19T18:24:39Z

lc common nouns

New page

{{Short description|Missile that follows a sub-orbital ballistic flightpath}}
{{About||self-navigating guided cruise missiles|Cruise missile}}
[[File:Minuteman III MIRV path.svg|right|thumb|upright=1.3|Minuteman-III [[MIRV]] launch sequence: {{ubl
|1. The missile launches out of its silo by firing its 1st-stage boost motor (''A'').
|2. About 60 seconds after launch, the 1st-stage drops off and the 2nd-stage motor (''B'') ignites. The missile shroud (''E'') is ejected.
|3. About 120 seconds after launch, the 3rd-stage motor (''C'') ignites and separates from the 2nd stage.
|4. About 180 seconds after launch, 3rd-stage thrust terminates and the post-boost vehicle (''D'') separates from the rocket.
|5. The post-boost vehicle maneuvers itself and prepares for re-entry vehicle (RV) deployment.
|6. The RVs, as well as decoys and chaff, are deployed.
|7. The RVs (now armed) and chaff re-enter the atmosphere at high speeds.
|8. The nuclear warheads detonate.}}]]

A '''ballistic missile''' follows a [[ballistic trajectory]] to deliver one or more [[warhead]]s on a predetermined target. These weapons are guided only during relatively brief periods—most of the flight is unpowered. Short-range ballistic missiles stay within the Earth's atmosphere, while [[intercontinental ballistic missile]]s (ICBMs) are launched on a [[sub-orbital flight|sub-orbital]] trajectory.

These weapons are in a distinct category from [[cruise missile]]s, which are [[Lift (force)|aerodynamically guided]] in powered flight.

==History==

[[File:Fusée V2.jpg|upright|right|thumb|Replica [[V-2]]]]

The earliest form of ballistic missiles dates from the 13th century with its use derived from the [[history of rockets]]. In the 14th century, the Ming Chinese navy used an early form of a ballistic missile weapon called the [[Huolongchushui|Huo long chu shui]] in naval battles against enemy ships.<ref name="Needham volume 5 part 7 508">Needham, Volume 5, Part 7, 508-510.</ref> A modern pioneer ballistic missile was the A-4,<ref>{{cite book | last = Zaloga | first = Steven | title = V-2 Ballistic Missile 1942–52 | publisher = [[Osprey Publishing]] | location = Reading | year = 2003 | page = [https://archive.org/details/newvanguard8200stev/page/3 3] | isbn = 978-1-84176-541-9 | url-access = registration | url = https://archive.org/details/newvanguard8200stev/page/3 }}</ref> commonly known as the [[V-2 rocket|V-2]] developed by [[Nazi Germany]] in the 1930s and 1940s under the direction of [[Wernher von Braun]]. The first successful launch of a V-2 was on October 3, 1942, and it began operation on September 6, 1944, against [[Paris]], followed by an attack on London two days later. By the end of World War II in Europe in May 1945, more than 3,000 V-2s had been launched.<REF NAME='num_fired'>{{cite book| author=Clayton K. S. Chun| title=Thunder Over the Horizon: From V-2 Rockets to Ballistic Missiles| publisher=[[Greenwood Publishing Group]]|year=2006| page=54}}</ref>

The [[R-7 Semyorka]] was the first [[intercontinental ballistic missile]].

A total of 30 nations have deployed operational ballistic missiles.{{citation needed|date=August 2020}} Development continues with around 100 ballistic missile flight tests in 2007 (not including those of the US), mostly by the People's Republic of China, Iran, and the Russian Federation.{{Citation needed|date=July 2010|reason=Dead link removed}} In 2010, the U.S. and Russian governments signed a treaty to reduce their inventory of [[intercontinental ballistic missile]]s (ICBMs) over a seven-year period (to 2017) to 1550 units each.<ref>U.S. Department of State (8 April 2010). [https://2009-2017.state.gov/documents/organization/140035.pdf "Treaty between the United States of America and the Russian Federation on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms"]. Retrieved 25 November 2018.</ref>

[[File:Minuteman III diagram.png|thumb|Side view of Minuteman-III ICBM]]

==Flight==

An intercontinental ballistic missile trajectory consists of three parts: the powered flight portion; the free-flight portion, which constitutes most of the flight time; and the re-entry phase, where the missile [[Atmospheric reentry|re-enters the Earth's atmosphere]]. (The flight phases for shorter-range ballistic missiles are essentially the first two phases of the ICBM, as some ballistic categories do not leave the atmosphere.){{citation needed|date=January 2018}}

Ballistic missiles can be launched from fixed sites or mobile launchers, including vehicles (e.g., [[Transporter erector launcher|transporter erector launchers (TELs)]]), [[aircraft]], [[Navy|ships]], and [[submarine]]s. The powered flight portion can last from a few tenths of seconds to several minutes and can consist of multiple [[rocket]] stages.{{citation needed|date=January 2018}}

When the fuel is exhausted, no more [[thrust]] is provided and the missile enters free flight. In order to cover large distances, ballistic missiles are usually launched into a high [[sub-orbital spaceflight]]; for intercontinental missiles, the highest altitude ([[apogee]]) reached during free-flight is about {{convert|2000|km|mi|sp=us}}.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2017/05/13/asia/north-korea-projectile/index.html|title=North Korea launches missile|last=Almasy|first=Steve|date=14 May 2017|work=[[CNN]]|access-date=2017-10-14|last2=Kwon|first2=K. J.|last3=Lee|first3=Taehoon}}</ref>

The re-entry stage begins at an altitude where atmospheric [[Drag (physics)|drag]] plays a significant part in missile [[trajectory]], and lasts until missile [[Impact force|impact]].{{citation needed|date=January 2018}}

Reentry vehicles reenter the Earth's atmosphere at very high velocities, on the order of {{convert|6-8|km/s|km/h mph|sp=us}} at ICBM ranges.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://www.nasic.af.mil/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=F2VLcKSmCTE%3d&portalid=19|title=Ballistic and Cruise Missile Threat|date=June 2017|publisher=Defense Intelligence Ballistic Missile Analysis Committee}}</ref>

==Advantages==

The course taken by ballistic missiles has two significant desirable properties. First, ballistic missiles that fly above the atmosphere have a much longer range than would be possible for [[cruise missiles]] of the same size. Powered rocket flight through thousands of kilometers of air would require vastly greater amounts of fuel, making the launch vehicles larger and easier to detect and intercept. Powered missiles that can cover similar ranges, such as cruise missiles, do not use rocket motors for the majority of their flight, but instead use more economical jet engines. However, cruise missiles have not made ballistic missiles obsolete, due to the second major advantage: ballistic missiles can travel extremely quickly along their flight path. An ICBM can strike a target within a 10,000 km range in about 30 to 35 minutes.{{Citation needed|date=October 2015}} With terminal speeds of over 5,000 m/s, ballistic missiles are much harder to [[Missile defense|intercept]] than cruise missiles, due to the much shorter time available. Therefore, ballistic missiles are some of the most feared weapons available, despite the fact that cruise missiles are cheaper, more mobile, and more versatile.{{Citation needed|date=October 2015}}

==Types==

[[File:Trident II missile image.jpg|thumb|upright|right|[[Trident II]] SLBM launched by [[ballistic missile submarine]]]]

Ballistic missiles vary widely in range and use, and are often divided into categories based on range. Various schemes are used by different countries to categorize the ranges of ballistic missiles:

*[[Air-launched ballistic missile]] (ALBM)
*[[Tactical ballistic missile]]: Range between about {{convert|150|to|300|km}}
*[[Theatre ballistic missile]] (TBM): Range between {{convert|300|to|3500|km}}
**[[Short-range ballistic missile]] (SRBM): Range between {{convert|300|to|1000|km}}
**[[Medium-range ballistic missile]] (MRBM): Range between {{convert|1000|to|3500|km}}
*[[Intermediate-range ballistic missile]] (IRBM) or long-range ballistic missile (LRBM): Range between {{convert|3500|to|5500|km}}
*[[Intercontinental ballistic missile]] (ICBM): Range greater than {{convert|5500|km}}
*[[Submarine-launched ballistic missile]] (SLBM): Launched from [[ballistic missile submarine]]s (SSBNs)

Most current designs have intercontinental range with a notable exception of [[India]]n operational SLBM [[Sagarika (missile)|Sagarika]] and [[K-4 (SLBM)|K-4]] as well as [[North Korea|North Korea's]] currently operationally deployed [[KN-11]]<ref name=YonhapAug24Confirms>[http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/national/2016/08/24/35/0301000000AEN20160824009552315F.html (2nd LD) N.K. leader calls SLBM launch success, boasts of nuke attack capacity]—Yonhap, 25 Aug 2016 08:17am</ref> which might not have intercontinental range. A comparable missile would be the decommissioned [[China|China's]] [[JL-1]] SLBM with a range of less than 2,500 km.

Tactical short- and medium-range missiles are often collectively referred to as [[Tactical ballistic missile|tactical]] and [[theatre ballistic missiles]], respectively. Long- and medium-range ballistic missiles are generally designed to deliver [[nuclear weapon]]s because their payload is too limited for conventional explosives to be cost-effective in comparison to conventional [[bomber aircraft]] (though the U.S. is [[prompt global strike|evaluating the idea]] of a conventionally armed ICBM for near-instant global air strike capability, despite the high costs).

==Quasi ballistic missiles==

A quasi ballistic missile (also called a semi ballistic missile) including [[anti-ship ballistic missile]]s is a category of missile that has a low trajectory and/or is largely ballistic but can perform maneuvers in flight or make unexpected changes in direction and range.{{Citation needed|date=July 2010|reason=Dead link removed}}

At a lower trajectory than a ballistic missile, a quasi ballistic missile can maintain higher speed, thus allowing its target less time to react to the attack, at the cost of reduced range.

The Russian [[9K720 Iskander|Iskander]] is a quasi ballistic missile.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.business-standard.com/latest-news|title=Latest News|via=Business Standard}}</ref> The Russian Iskander-M cruises at hypersonic speed of 2,100–2,600 m/s (Mach 6–7) at a height of 50 km. The Iskander-M weighs 4,615 kg, carries a warhead of 710–800 kg, has a range of 480 km and achieves a [[Circular error probable|CEP]] of 5–7 meters. During flight it can maneuver at different altitudes and trajectories to evade anti-ballistic missiles.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://military.tomsk.ru/blog/topic-185.html|title=MilitaryRussia.Ru — отечественная военная техника (после 1945г.) | Статьи|website=military.tomsk.ru}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=SS-26 Stone Iskander 9M72 9P78EBallistic missile system|url=http://www.armyrecognition.com/derni_res_news/bienvenue_sur_joomla__3.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100725054913/http://www.armyrecognition.com/derni_res_news/bienvenue_sur_joomla__3.html|archive-date=2010-07-25}}</ref>

===List of quasi ballistic missiles===
{{Expand list|date=July 2020}}
;{{flag|China}}:
*[[DF-15]] (active)
*[[DF-21D]] (active)
*[[DF-26]] (active)
*[[B-611|B-611MR]] (active)
*[[SY-400]] (active)
*[[XY-9]]
;{{flag|France}}:
*[[Hadès (missile)|Hadès]] (retired)

;{{flag|India}}:
*[[Prithvi (missile)|Prithvi-III]] (active)
*[[Dhanush (missile)|Dhanush]] (active)
*[[Prahaar (missile)|Prahaar]] (under development)
*[[Shaurya (missile)|Shaurya]] (active)

;{{flag|Iran}}
*[[Fateh-110]] (active)
*[[Qiam 1]] (active)
*[[Khalij Fars]] (active)

;{{flag|Israel}}:
*[[LORA (missile)|LORA]] (active)

;{{flag|North Korea}}:
*[[KN-23]] (under development)
*[[KN-24]] (under development)

;{{flag|Pakistan}}:
*[[Nasr (missile)|Nasr]] (active)

;{{flag|Soviet Union}}\{{flag|Russia}}:
*[[R-27 Zyb#R-27K|R-27K]] (cancelled)
*[[OTR-21 Tochka|Tochka]] (active)
*[[R-400 Oka|Oka]] (retired)
*[[Iskander (missile)| Iskander]] (active)

;{{flag|United States}}:
*[[MGM-140 ATACMS|MGM-140B/E ATACMS]] (active)

==Throw-weight==

Throw-weight is a measure of the effective weight of ballistic missile [[payload]]s. It is measured in [[kilogram]]s or [[tonne]]s. Throw-weight equals the total weight of a missile's [[warhead]]s, [[reentry vehicle]]s, self-contained dispensing mechanisms, [[penetration aids]], and [[missile guidance]] systems: generally all components except for the launch [[Booster (rocketry)|rocket booster]] and launch fuel. Throw-weight may refer to any type of warhead, but in normal modern usage, it refers almost exclusively to [[fission bomb|nuclear]] or [[thermonuclear weapon|thermonuclear]] payloads. It was once also a consideration in the design of naval ships and the number and size of their guns.

Throw-weight was used as a criterion in classifying different types of missiles during [[Strategic Arms Limitation Talks]] between the [[Soviet Union]] and the [[United States]].<ref>James John Tritten, [http://www.airpower.maxwell.af.mil/airchronicles/aureview/1982/nov-dec/tritten.html Throw-Weight and Arms Control] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071123235939/http://www.airpower.maxwell.af.mil/airchronicles/aureview/1982/nov-dec/tritten.html |date=2007-11-23 }}, ''Air University Review'', Nov-Dec 1982.</ref> The term became politically controversial during debates over the arms control accord, as critics of the treaty alleged that Soviet missiles were able to carry larger payloads and so enabled the Soviets to maintain higher throw-weight than an American force with a roughly comparable number of lower-payload missiles.<ref>New York Times, [https://www.nytimes.com/1991/07/15/world/what-is-throw-weight.html What Is Throw-Weight?], July 15, 1991.</ref>

The missiles with the world's heaviest payloads are the Russian [[SS-18]] and Chinese [[DF-5|CSS-4]] and {{asof|2017|lc=y}}, Russia was developing a new heavy-lift, liquid-propellant ICBM called the [[Sarmat]].<ref name=":0" />

===Depressed trajectory===

Throw-weight is normally calculated using an optimal [[ballistic trajectory]] from one point on the surface of the Earth to another. An optimal trajectory maximizes the total payload (throw-weight) using the available [[impulse (physics)|impulse]] of the missile. By reducing the payload weight, different trajectories can be selected, which can either increase the nominal range or decrease the total time in flight.

A depressed trajectory is non-optimal, as a lower and flatter trajectory takes less time between launch and impact but has a lower throw-weight. The primary reasons to choose a depressed trajectory are to evade [[anti-ballistic missile]] systems by reducing the time available to shoot down the attacking vehicle (especially during the vulnerable burn-phase against space-based ABM systems) or a nuclear [[first-strike]] scenario.<ref>Science & Global Security, 1992, Volume 3, pp.101-159 Depressed Trajectory SLBMs: A Technical Evaluation and Arms Control Possibilities [http://www.princeton.edu/sgs/publications/sgs/pdf/3_1-2gronlund.pdf]</ref> An alternate, non-military purpose for a depressed trajectory is in conjunction with the [[space plane]] concept with use of [[air-breathing engine]]s, which requires the ballistic missile to remain low enough inside the atmosphere for air-breathing engines to function.

==Combat use==
The [[V-2 rocket|V-2]], [[Scud missile|Scud types]], [[OTR-21 Tochka]], [[9K720 Iskander]], [[MGM-140 ATACMS]], [[LORA (missile)|LORA]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/36877/video-points-to-azerbaijans-first-use-of-israeli-made-ballistic-missile-against-armenia|title = Video Points to Azerbaijan's First Use of Israeli-Made Ballistic Missile Against Armenia}}</ref> [[Ababil-100]], [[Al-Samoud 2]], [[Qaher-1|Qaher-1/2M]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2018/03/a-peek-inside-houthi-rebels-recent-missile-strikes-in-saudi-arabia.php|title = A peek inside Houthi Rebel's recent missile strikes in Saudi Arabia | FDD's Long War Journal|date = 28 March 2018}}</ref> [[Fateh-110]], [[Zolfaghar (missile)|Zolfaghar]] and [[Dongfeng (missile)#Dongfeng 12 (CSS-X-15)|DF-12]]<ref>https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/how-chinese-ballistic-missiles-and-iranian-drones-popped-ethiopia%E2%80%99s-civil-war-tigray-0</ref><ref>https://edition.cnn.com/2020/11/14/africa/ethiopia-airport-tigray-intl/index.html</ref> are the only ballistic missiles fired in action.

==See also==
*[[Anti-ballistic missile]]
*[[Ballistic missile flight phases]]
*[[Missile]] (guided)
*[[Multiple independently targetable reentry vehicle|MIRV]]
*[[NATO reporting name]] (has lists of various Soviet missiles)
*[[Payload]]
*[[Surface-to-surface missile]]
*[[Weapons of mass destruction]]
*[[List of currently active missiles of the United States military]]
*[[List of ICBMs]]
*[[List of missiles]]
*[[List of missiles by nation]]
*[[List of NATO reporting names for ballistic missile submarines]]

==Notes==

{{Reflist}}

==References==

*Needham, Joseph (1986). ''Science and Civilization in China: Volume 5, Chemistry and Chemical Technology, Part 7, Military Technology; the Gunpowder Epic''. Taipei: Caves Books Ltd.

==Further reading==

*{{cite book| last =Futter| first =Andrew | title =Ballistic Missile Defence and US National Security Policy: Normalisation and Acceptance after the Cold War| publisher =[[Routledge]] | date =2013 | isbn =978-0415817325}}
*{{cite book| last =Neufeld|first = Jacob| title =The Development of Ballistic Missiles in the United States Air Force, 1945-1960|publisher= Office of Air Force History, U.S. Air Force|date= 1990|isbn=0912799625 }}
*{{cite book| last1 = Swaine|first1 = Michael D. |first2=Rachel M. |last2=Swanger|first3=Takashi|last3= Kawakami|title= Japan and Ballistic Missile Defense| url = https://archive.org/details/japanballisticmi0000swai| url-access = registration|publisher= Rand|date= 2001|isbn=0833030205}}

==External links==
*[https://missilethreat.csis.org/ Missile Threat: A Project of the [[Center for Strategic and International Studies]]]

{{Missile types}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ballistic Missile}}
[[Category:Ballistic missiles| ]]
[[Category:Chinese inventions]]
[[Category:German inventions of the Nazi period]]
[[Category:Wernher von Braun]]

Ballistic missile - Revision history

Brigette59K: expand intro for consistency and cleaned formatting as per guidelines

>Nyq: lc common nouns