Ballistic Missiles

Ballistics (gr. ba'llein, "throw") is the science that deals with the motion, behavior, and effects of projectiles, especially bullets, gravity bombs, rockets, or the like; the science or art of designing and hurling projectiles so as to achieve a desired performance.

A ballistic body is a body which is free to move, behave, and be modified in appearance, contour, or texture by ambient conditions, substances, or forces, as by the pressure of gases in a gun, by rifling in a barrel, by gravity, by temperature, or by air particles.

Firearm ballistics information can also be used in forensic science. Separately from ballistics information, firearm and tool mark examinations involve analyzing firearm, ammunition, and tool mark evidence in order to establish whether a certain firearm or tool was used in the commission of a crime.

Ballistics is sometimes subdivided into:

* Internal ballistics, the study of the processes originally accelerating the projectile, for example the passage of a bullet through the barrel of a rifle;
* Transition ballistics, the study of the projectile's behavior when it leaves the barrel and the pressure behind the projectile is equalized.
* External ballistics, the study of the passage of the projectile through space or the air; and
* Terminal ballistics, the study of the interaction of a projectile with its target, whether that be flesh (for a hunting bullet), steel (for an anti-tank round), or even furnace slag (for an industrial slag disruptor).

A ballistic missile is a missile designed to operate primarily in accordance with the laws of ballistics.

The term ballistics is also sometimes used to refer to acceleration curves applied to the motion of a computer mouse.

A ballistic missile is a missile that follows an elliptical, sub-orbital, ballistic

flightpath with the objective of delivering a warhead to a predetermined target. The missile

is only guided during the powered phase of flight; its course governed by the laws of

orbital mechanics and ballistics.

The first ballistic missile was the A-4, commonly known as the V-2 rocket, developed by Nazi

Germany in the 1930s and 1940s under direction of Walter Dornberger. The first successful

launch of a V-2 was on October 3, 1942 and began operation on September 6, 1944 against

Paris, followed by an attack on London two days later. By the end of the war in May 1945

over 3000 V-2's had been launched.

A ballistic missile trajectory consists of three parts: The powered flight portion, the

free-flight portion which constitutes most of the flight time, and the re-entry phase where

the missile re-enters the earths atmosphere.

Ballistic missiles can be launched from fixed sites or mobile launchers, including vehicles

(Transporter Erector Launchers, TELs), aircraft, ships and submarines. The powered flight

portion can last from a few tens of seconds to several minutes and can consist of up to

three rocket stages.

When in space and no more thrust is provided, the missile enters free-flight. In order to

cover large distances, ballistic missiles are usually launched into a high sub-orbital

spaceflight; for intercontinental missiles the highest altitude (apogee) reached during

free-flight is about 1200 km.

The re-entry stage begins at an altitude where atmospheric drag plays a significant part in

missile trajectory, and lasts until missile impact.


Missile types

Ballistic missiles can vary widely in range and use, and are often divided into categories

based on range. The U.S. distinguishes:[1]

* Short-range ballistic missile (SRBM): range less than 1000 km; the three types of

ballistic missile ever used in an attack were all in this category and had conventional

explosives only:
o V-2 rocket
o Scud
o SS-21 Scarab
* Medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM): range between 1000 and 2500 km
* Intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM): range between 2500 and 3500 km
* Sub-continental ballistic missile (SCBM): range between ? and ? km
* Intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM): range greater than 3500 km, broken down

into:
o Limited range intercontinental ballistic missile (LRICBM): range between 3500

and 8000 km
o Full range intercontinental ballistic missile (FRICBM): range between 8000 and

12,000 km
* Submarine-launched ballistic missile

Medium to short range missiles are often called tactical or theatre ballistic missiles

(TBM). Long and medium range ballistic missiles are generally designed to deliver nuclear

warheads because their payload is too limited for conventional explosives to be efficient

(though the US may be evaluating the idea of a conventionally-armed ICBM for near-instant

global air strike capability despite the high costs[2]).

Using a missile with a considerably longer range than the distance from launch site to

target can make sense: it can reach a higher altitude and come down with a higher speed,

making defense more difficult. For example, a missile with a range of 3000 km fired at a

target that is only 500 km away could arrive at its target after having reached an altitude

of about 1200 km —roughly the height reached by ICBMs. Like them, it would arrive at a speed

of typically more than 6 km/s (Mach 17).

The flight phases are like those for ICBMs, except that for a range less than ca. 350 km

there is no exoatmospheric phase.


Specific missiles
Specific types of ballistic missiles include:

* Abdali-I
* Agni
* Condor
* CSS-2 missile
* Ghauri-I
* Ghauri-II
* Ghauri
* Ghaznavi
* Hadès
* Hatf-I
* Jericho
* M5
* M45
* M51
* Minuteman
* Nodong-1
* Peacekeeper
* Pluton
* Polaris
* Poseidon
* Prithvi
* Scud
* Shahab-3
* Shahab-4
* Shahab-5
* Shaheen
* Skybolt Air-Launched Ballistic Missile (ALBM)
* SS-18 missile
* SS-24 missile
* SS-N-23
* Surya ICBM
* Taepodong-1
* Taepodong-2
* Trident
* V-2



Ballistic missile submarines

Specific types of ballistic missile submarines include:

* Vanguard class
* Resolution class
* Benjamin Franklin class
* Ohio class
* Triomphant class
* Redoutable class
* Xia class
* Additional ballistic missile submarines