Sunday, June 21, 2009

USA Anti Ballistic Missile Systems

That pics shows a MIRV re-entry.

Multiple Independently targetable Re-entry Vehicle, or MIRV is a collection of nuclear weapons carried on a single intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) or a submarine launched ballistic missile (SLBM). Using a MIRV warhead, a single launched missile can strike several targets, or fewer targets redundantly. By contrast a unitary warhead is a single warhead on a single missile.

The US Minuteman 3 is the only US land-based MIRV ICBM currently in use. These MIRV capable ICBM's are especially used because they are harder to counter with anti ballistic missile systems due to number of independent re-entry vehicles in the re-entry phase. True to keeping the world more on edge, the Russians are developing the Bulava(SS-27 class) sea-launched MIRV ICBM. Supposedly the most advanced MIRV ICBM to date and still under development. This is obviously in response to the US Ballistic missile "Shield" that is under development.

LGM-118A Peacekeeper missile system being tested at the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands.
The lines shown are the re-entry vehicles -- one Peacekeeper can hold up to 10 nuclear warheads, each independently targeted. Were the warheads armed with a nuclear payload, each would carry with it the explosive power of twenty-five Hiroshima-sized weapons.

0 comments:

Blog Archive

  © Blogger templates Psi by Ourblogtemplates.com 2008

Back to TOP