Ballistic missile
A ballistic missile is a missile that follows a sub-orbital ballistic flightpath with the objective of delivering one or more warheads (often nuclear) to a predetermined target. The missile is only guided during the relatively brief initial powered phase of flight and its course is subsequently governed by the laws of orbital mechanics and ballistics. To date, ballistic missiles have been propelled during powered flight by chemical rocket engines of various types.
History
The first ballistic missile was the A-4, commonly known as the V-2 rocket, developed by Nazi Germany in the 1930s and 1940s under direction of Walter Dornberger. The first successful launch of a V-2 was on October 3, 1942 and began operation on September 6, 1944 against Paris, followed by an attack on London two days later. By the end of World War II May 1945 over 3,000 V-2s had been launched.
A total of 30 nations have deployed operational ballistic missiles. Development continues, with around 100 ballistic missile flight tests (not including those of the US) in 2007, mostly by China, Iran and the Russian Federation.
Flight
A 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 re-enters the Earth's atmosphere.
Ballistic missiles can be launched from fixed sites or mobile launchers, including vehicles (transporter erector launchers, TELs), aircraft, ships and submarines. The powered flight portion can last from a few tens of seconds to several minutes and can consist of multiple rocket stages.
When in space and no more thrust is provided, 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 1200 km.
The re-entry stage begins at an altitude where atmospheric drag plays a significant part in missile trajectory, and lasts until missile impact.
Missile types
Ballistic missiles can 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:
Tactical ballistic missile: Range between about 150 km and 300 km
Battlefield range ballistic missile (BRBM): Range less than 200 km
Theatre ballistic missile (TBM): Range between 300 km and 3500 km
Short-range ballistic missile (SRBM): Range 1000 km or less
Medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM): Range between 1000 km and 3500 km
Intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) or long-range ballistic missile (LRBM): Range between 3500 km and 5500 km
Intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM): Range greater than 5500 km
Submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM): Launched from ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs), all current designs have intercontinental range.
Short- and medium-range missiles are often collectively referred to as theater or tactical ballistic missiles (TBMs). Long- and medium-range ballistic missiles are generally designed to deliver nuclear weapons because their payload is too limited for conventional explosives to be efficient (though the U.S. may be evaluating the idea of a conventionally-armed ICBM for near-instant global air strike capability despite the high costs).
The flight phases are like those for ICBMs, except with no exoatmospheric phase for missiles with ranges less than about 350 km.
Quasi ballistic missiles
A quasi ballistic missile (also called a semi ballistic missile) 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.
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.
Missiles that combine a maneuverable reentry vehicle (MaRV) with a terminal guidance system, allowing them to adjust the flight path as they near their target, are thought to be under development in China for use as anti-ship ballistic missiles.
Specific missiles
Specific types of ballistic missiles include:
Argentina
Condor SRBM
China
DF-1: MRBM
DF-2: MRBM
DF-3A: IRBM
DF-4: ICBM
DF-5: ICBM
DF-11: SRBM
DF-15: SRBM
DF-21: IRBM
DF-21: ASBM (anti-ship ballistic missile)
DF-25: IRBM
DF-31: ICBM
DF-41: ICBM
JL-1: SLBM IRBM
JL-2: SLBM ICBM
B-611: SRBM
P-12: TBM SSM
France
M45: SLBM
M51: SLBM
Pluton: SRBM
India
Prithvi I: SRBM
Prithvi II: SRBM
Prithvi III: MRBM
Agni I: SRBM
Agni II: MRBM
Agni III: IRBM (Agni III (A), Agni III (B), Agni III (3C), Agni III (SLBM) )
Agni V: ICBM (under development)
Sagarika: SLBM
Shaurya: MRBM (Quasi-ballistic missile)
Dhanush: ShipLBM
Iran
Shahab-1: SRBM
Shahab-2: SRBM
Shahab-3: MRBM
Zelzal-1: SRBM
Zelzal-2: SRBM
Zelzal-3: SRBM
Fajr-3: MRBM
Sejjil-1: MRBM
Sejjil-2: MRBM
Fateh-110: SRBM
Ashoura: MRBM
Ghadr-110: MRBM
Israel
Jericho I: SRBM
Jericho II: MRBM
Jericho III: IRBM
Iraq
Al Abbas:
Al Hijarah:
Al Hussein:
Al Hussein II:
Al Samoud:
Al Samoud II:
Nazi Germany
V-2
North Korea
Hwasong-5: SRBM
Hwasong-6: SRBM
Rodong-1: MRBM
Rodong-2: MRBM
Musudan: IRBM
Taepodong-1: IRBM
Taepodong-2: ICBM
Pakistan
Abdali-I: SRBM
Ghaznavi: SRBM
M-11: SRBM
Shaheen-I: SRBM
Ghauri-I: MRBM
Ghauri-II: MRBM
Shaheen-II: IRBM
Ghauri-III: IRBM (under development)
Shaheen-III: IRBM (under development)
Soviet Union/Russia
Scud:
SS-18 missile: ICBM
SS-24 missile: ICBM
RT-2UTTH Topol M: ICBM
SS-N-23: SLBM
R7 Semyorka / 8K71 / SS-6 Sapwood
R-16 SS-7 Saddler
R-9 Desna / SS-8 Sasin
R-36 SS-9 Scarp
R-36M2 Voevoda / SS-18 Satan
UR-100 8K84 / SS-11 Sego
MR-UR-100 Sotka / 15A15/ SS-17 Spanker
UR-100N 15A30 / SS-19 Stiletto
RT-2 8K98 / SS-13 Savage
RT-23 Molodets / SS-24 Scalpel
RT-2PM Topol / 15Zh58 / SS-25 Sickle
RT-2UTTKh Topol M / SS-27
RS-24: MIRV-equipped. Expected to service in December 2009.
South Korea
Hyunmoo I: SRBM
Hyunmoo II: SRBM
Turkey
J-600T Yıldırım I: SRBM
J-600T Yıldırım II: SRBM
United States
Atlas: ICBM
Titan: ICBM
Minuteman: ICBM
Peacekeeper: ICBM
Polaris: SLBM
Poseidon: SLBM
Trident SLBM
Skybolt Air-Launched Ballistic Missile (ALBM)
Ballistic missile submarines
Specific types of ballistic missile submarines (SSBN) include:
United States
Ohio class
Benjamin Franklin class
James Madison class
Lafayette class
Ethan Allen class
George Washington class
Russia
Borei class
Typhoon class
Delta class
United Kingdom
Vanguard class
Resolution class
France
Triomphant class
Redoutable class
China
Type 092 (Xia class)
Type 094 (Jin class)
Type 096 - rumoured
India
Arihant class - Under-going Trials.
Translation of "Ballistic missile"
Arabic: صاروخ باليستي, Bulgarian: Балистична ракета, Czech: Balistická raketa, Danish: Ballistisk missil, German: Ballistische Rakete, Estonian: Ballistiline rakett, Spanish: Misil balístico, Esperanto: Balistika misilo, Persian: موشک بالیستیک, French: Missile balistique, Korean: 탄도 미사일, Hindi: बैलिस्टिक प्रक्षेपास्त्र, Indonesian: Peluru kendali balistik, Italian: Missile balistico, Hebrew: טיל בליסטי, Georgian: ბალისტიკური რაკეტა, Latvian: Ballistiskā raķete, Hungarian: Ballisztikus rakéta, Malay: Peluru berpandu balistik, Dutch: Ballistische raket, Japanese: 弾道ミサイル, Norwegian (Bokmål): Ballistisk missil, Western Panjabi: بیلیسٹک میزائل, Polish: Rakietowy pocisk balistyczny, Portuguese: Míssil balístico, Russian: Баллистическая ракета, Slovak: Balistická raketa, Slovenian: Balistični izstrelek, Serbian: Балистичка ракета, Finnish: Ballistinen ohjus, Swedish: Ballistisk robot, Vietnamese: Tên lửa đạn đạo, Wu: 弹道导弹, Chinese: 弹道导弹.
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