Intercontinental ballistic missile

An intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) is a guided weapon designed to travel between continents on a ballistic trajectory, typically carrying a nuclear warhead.

Ballistic trajectory: A flight path governed mainly by gravity and initial velocity after powered propulsion ends. An ICBM follows this arc through space before descending toward its target.
V-2 rocket: A German long-range ballistic missile used against Allied targets during World War II. Its propulsion and ballistic design formed an important technical precursor to later missiles.
Nuclear deterrence: A strategy that seeks to prevent attack by threatening unacceptable nuclear retaliation. ICBMs provide a long-range means of delivering the retaliatory threat.
Submarine-launched ballistic missile: A ballistic missile launched from a submarine, usually designed for strategic nuclear delivery. It can serve a similar deterrent role while relying on mobile, concealed basing.
Boost phase: The powered portion of a missile’s flight, when rocket engines accelerate it and establish its trajectory. This phase gives an ICBM the velocity needed for its long-range arc.
Operation Paperclip: A United States program that brought German scientists and engineers to work in America after World War II. Rocket specialists and expertise transferred through the program contributed to U.S. missile development.
Nuclear triad: The combination of land-based missiles, submarine-launched missiles, and strategic bombers in a nuclear arsenal. ICBMs form its land-based leg in states that maintain all three delivery modes.
Intermediate-range ballistic missile: A ballistic missile with a range generally between 3,000 and 5,500 kilometers. Its shorter range distinguishes it from the intercontinental category.
Inertial navigation system: A navigation system that estimates position and motion from onboard accelerometers and gyroscopes. It guides an ICBM without requiring an external signal during flight.
R-7 Semyorka: A Soviet intercontinental ballistic missile that became the first successful operational ICBM. Its 1957 flight demonstrated that a missile could reach targets across continents.

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