Intercontinental ballistic missile
Intercontinental ballistic missiles or ICBM's are missiles using a ballistic trajectory involving a significant ascent and descent including suborbital and partial orbital trajectories. Modern nuclear weapons also deliver Multiple Independent Re-entry Vehicles (MIRV) each of which carries a warhead and allows a single launched missile to strike a handful of targets. The low flying cruise missile is an alternative to ballistic missiles.
specific types of ballistic missiles include:
- Polaris missile
- Poseidon missile
- Trident missile
- Blue Steel missile
- Blue Streak missile
- Skybolt ALBM
- V2 rocket
Specific types of ballistic missile submarines include:
- Benjamin Franklin class submarine
- Ohio class submarine
- Resolution class submarine
- additonal ballistic missile submarines
See also: Anti-ballistic missile, Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, nuclear disarmament, nuclear warfare, submarine