Ballistic missile

A ballistic missile is a Missile of which part of the trajectory is Balistique, i.e. influenced only by the Gravité and the aerodynamic friction (Traînée). The ballistic phase is preceded by a phase by acceleration supplied with a Moteur-fusée giving to the machine the Impulsion necessary to reach its target.

So certain missiles anti-tank, anti-ship anti-aircraft or are ballistic, it is unusual to speak about it like such. Consequently, this article describes only the ballistic missile tactics or strategic, which is the usual direction of the term.

These two categories are distinguished by the role of the missile within the framework from the defense policy from the State which has which it.

  • the tactical missile (known as also operational or of theater) is intended to extend the offensive capacity of the armed forces beyond that of the traditional Artillerie. Generally its range is limited to a few hundred kilometers and it is equipped with a conventional load .
  • the strategic missile is intended for a dissuasive role or of intimidation. It is generally equipped with a not-conventional load , particularly nuclear. By its capacity to strike the interests of the enemy without real possibility of interception, it allows the State while laying out to attack even when its armed forces are not able to do it.

Because of political and social impact of the strategic ballistic missile equipped with a nuclear load since the end of the second world war, it is not rare that the term “ballistic missile” is used while speaking about this weapon.

Composition

On the principle, it is a question simply of a rocket too not very powerful (or too charged) to reach the Satellisation. Historically, many space launchers are besides derived more or less directly from ballistic missiles.

The machine is composed of several stages, the first containing the Carburant and the Moteur S while the last stage contains the Payload.

At the time of the propelled phase, the missile gains altitude and speed, the various stages of propulsion separate progressively from the rise. After stop of the operation of all the propelling stages, the head containing the payload carries on its road without any propulsion, according to a ballistic trajectory (from where the name of the missile).

Put with equipment

All the equipment being used for operation of the missile (but it is the case also for the rockets launcher S of space engines) is gathered in a box with equipment ( Equipment bay , in English): Piloting, guidance, power supply, Telemetry, management of the payload, etc, the whole generally managed by a Computer embarked.

History

The first machine which one can describe as ballistic missile is the rocket V2, of a range of approximately 200 km, developed by the Germany Nazi since 1938 and used during the Second world war. As of the end of the war, the the United States of America and the the USSR launch out in the development of tactical ballistic missiles, initially based on V2 as the Scud - then sophisticated more and more. These two countries will remain alone with the point of the technology of the ballistic missiles throughout the Cold war and until today.

In the years 1950 and 1960, the range of the missiles will increase in a spectacular way. In the USSR for example, a missile steals 550 km in 1949 (R-2), 1  200 km in 1955 (R-5), 8  000 km in 1957 (R-7), 13  000 km in 1961 (R-9) to reach a planetary range in 1965 (R-36O).

Often armed with nuclear loads and because of their range increasingly larger, the ballistic missiles have an obvious strategic interest. In the United States of America, it is in 1959 that is brought into service the first ballistic missile with intercontinental range specifically dedicated to a strategic role: the missile Atlas of a range of 11  000 km which will be used thereafter as rocket for the Programme Mercury.

In 1960, an American missile Polaris is launched since a Sous-marin. Although having a range lower than 2000 km it will be treated, like all the ballistic missiles launched by a submarine, like a strategic missile. Indeed, its capacity to be launched near the enemy territory gives him an obvious dissuasive effect.

During the years 1970 and 1980 the problem of the range of the strategic missiles becomes null and void: one can tackle any point of the enemy territory. Other properties are required.

  • In order to increase the probability of destroying hardened targets for which even the nuclear weapon must be applied with precision (silo S of missiles in particular) one improves guidance of the weapon. Precise details of about 200-300 m are obtained in the Eighties as on SS-18.

  • In order to return the system of missile more resistant to the attacks one reduces the size of the machine, which makes it possible to make it mobile. Strategic missiles are installed on Train S or trucks. The armor-plated silos become them-also more resistant because the missiles which they contain are smaller.
  • Lastly, considering the prohibitory cost of the missiles and the needs for total destruction that the strategic doctrines of the time require, one installs on only one missile sometimes to 13 separate atomic warheads.

The development of the tactical ballistic missiles will continue in parallel with that of the strategic missiles, but with less urgently. In 1988, the American-Soviet treaty on the nuclear forces with intermediate range prohibited the possession of nuclear or conventional ground-to-ground missiles whose range lies between 500 km and 5.500 km. This definitively stops the development of tactical ballistic missiles in these two countries. Other countries, the such Pakistan, the India, Israel, the Iran or the North Korea continue today to develop tactical ballistic missiles.

Typology

One distinguishes:

  • ballistic missiles with short range ( SRBM: Shorts Arrange Ballistic Missile ) or missiles tactical. Their range is lower than 800 kilometers. Examples: Pluto, Scud, Pershing MGM-31.

  • missiles with range " moyenne" ( MRBM: Medium Range Ballistic Missile ), which has a range ranging between 1000 and 3000 kilometers. Examples: Shahab-3, Nodong -1, Jericho II.
  • intermediate-range missiles ( IRBM: Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile ), which has a range ranging between 2400 and 6400 kilometers. Examples: S3B , SS-20 .
  • long-range missiles (ICBM: InterContinental Ballistic Missile), which has a range which goes from 6.000 to 13.000 kilometers. Examples: Topol-M, Peacekeeper, SS-18.
  • When they are launched since Sous-marin S, the missiles are indicated SLBM: Submarine Launched Balistic Missile. Examples: Missile M45, Missile Polaris, Missile Poseïdon

List principal ballistic missiles

The following tables indicate the principal types of ballistic missiles which are or were in service in the world. The various models for the same type of machine are not indicated. And the characteristics indicated apply to the first model brought into service. For each missile, the following data are included.

  • Country : Country where the machine at developed summer.

  • Dépl. : The year of startup (deployment) of the first model for this type of machine.
  • Warheads : The number of separate warheads transported by the missile.
  • Load : Explosive power of a transported warhead. For the nuclear weapons, it is measured in thousands of tons of equivalent TNT (kt) or in million tons (MT).
  • Mass : Mass of the missile to launching, including its fuel.
  • Propulsion : The number of stages of propulsion and their type. For each stage, one indicates according to fuel is kér. (kerosene and liquid oxygen), is hyp. (Propellent S hypergolic), is ground. (solid propellents). Certain missiles have an additional engine for the insertion of the warheads in the atmosphere which is not mentioned in the table.
  • Carried : The maximum distance that the missile can traverse.
  • Precision : The ray of a circle centered on the target inside of which half of the missiles of this type will land.
  • Shooting : The type of step of shooting used; mobile means on truck or rail. For the naval missiles, if the missile is drawn on the surface or since a submerged Sous-marin.

Considering the significant nature of information on the majority of these machines, the values below are prone to important inaccuracies.

Strategic ground-to-ground

Strategic sea-to-ground

Tactics

Other ballistic missiles by country

Argentina

  • Condor

North Korea

India

  • Agni
  • Prithvi
  • Surya

Iran

Pakistan

  • Abdali-I
  • Ghauri-I
  • Ghauri-II
  • Ghauri-III
  • Ghaznavi
  • Hatf-I/IA
  • Shaheen

See too

External bonds

  • Historical of the ballistic missiles of USAF

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