ballistic missile
Arcing nuclear delivery
A ballistic missile is a weapon that uses rocket propulsion to reach high altitude, then follows an unpowered arc toward its target—like a thrown ball subject to gravity.
Distinguished from cruise missiles, which fly under continuous power.
Ballistic missiles may be intercontinental (ICBMs) or shorter-range, and can carry nuclear or conventional warheads: The treaty limits ballistic missile deployment.
- warheadMunition's explosive section
- ICBMOcean-spanning nuclear delivery system
- rocketPropulsion-driven spacecraft
- payloadCarried freight or charge
- reentry vehicleSpacecraft portion surviving atmospheric return
trajectory · launcher · countdown · precision strike · deterrent · mushroom cloud · rogue state · no-fly zone · arsenal · guidance · intercontinental · Cold War · strike · radar · target · supersonic · V-2 rocket · range
- Pentagon ProgramsDARPA, F-22, F-22 Raptor, F-35, B-2 bomber
- guided weaponsguided bomb, smart bomb, laser-guided bomb, Maverick, AGM
- Navyadmiral, battleship, destroyer, aircraft carrier, cruiser
- rocketsrocket, rockets, booster, boosters, rocket booster
- warfarebattle, combat, attack, war, armed conflict
- submarinessub, subs, torpedo, submarines, hull
ballistic missilecruise missile
Self-propelled flying weapon
guided missile · drone · smart bomb · laser-guided bomb · torpedo
ballistic missileanti-ballistic missile
Defensive projectile destroyer
interceptor missile · missile shield · interceptor · Iron Dome · THAAD
ballistic missiledisarmament
Reducing or eliminating weapons
nuclear disarmament · peace treaty · nuclear nonproliferation · diplomacy · diplomatic negotiation
missile, missiles, ballistic, ballistics, ballistically, guided missile, ballistic missiles