Weapons & delivery systems
ICBM (Intercontinental Ballistic Missile)
A long-range ballistic missile (range > 5,500 km) designed to deliver nuclear warheads between continents.
ICBMs are typically launched from hardened silos or mobile launchers, follow a ballistic trajectory through space, and reenter the atmosphere to strike targets thousands of kilometers away. US Minuteman III and Russian RS-28 Sarmat are current examples. Flight time from Russia to the US is roughly 30 minutes.
Related terms
SLBM (Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile)
A ballistic missile launched from a submerged submarine, providing a survivable second-strike nuclear capability.
MIRV
Multiple Independently-targetable Reentry Vehicle — a single missile carrying several warheads, each able to strike a different target.
Warhead
The explosive payload of a missile, bomb, or other weapon system; for nuclear weapons, the package containing the fissile or fusion material.
Nuclear Triad
A three-pronged nuclear force structure consisting of land-based ICBMs, submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs), and strategic bombers.