Are the ICBMs (those weapons which are ballistic and intercontinental rockets) nuclear?!?

Question

this is a very important question for me, please answer only if you know what I'm talking about

Answer 1

they have swappable war heads, either nuclear or conventional.

Answer 2

Primarily; yes. They were initially developed to carry nuclear payloads to devastate key military and industrial facilities in the USSR during the Cold War. Initially they carried atomic and the hydrogen warheads. Part of the 3 prong ( at this early hour the actual military term escapes me, sorry) or triad nuclear defense deterrent, the ICBMs were designed to carry a large warhead in megaton (millions of tons) of effective yield. The 3 prong defense was based on the ability to deliver our weapons via Air (bombers), Land (ICBMs) and Sea (submarines).

Today, many of the 6,000-10,000 nuclear warheads declared to be in the US arsenal which are placed on ICBMs are MIRVs or basically, the missiles warhead can carry 3, 6, 10, perhaps more nuclear re-entry vehicles (bombs) in the kiloton range.

But bottom line, using an expensive, complicated delivery vehicle such as an ICBM to deliver a non-nuclear payload is counter to its design and not very cost effective. (And for that single reason does anyone really think the N.Koreans are planning to launch their ICBMs -if allowed to complete their development- with conventional explosives?) BUT use of a conventional warhead is not out of the realm of possibility....or reason. Let's just hope we don't even have to find out.

Answer 3

You could put what ever you want into the payload section of an ICBM, theoretically, since the rest of it isn't much different from the rockets NASA uses to put satellites in orbit. I am not aware of of there being any ICBMs in the U.S. arsenal that are equipped with conventional weapons. I did read somewhere that they are considering it so that they can strike targets with in a couple of hours so to avoid the enemy escaping because it took to much time for an air strike or a cruise missile. Would be very helpful in baggin terrorists who are constantly on the move.

Answer 4

ICBM is an acronym for Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile. The original ICBM of the United States were based on the Atlas Rocket - the same rocket used in the Gemini space program.

So an ICBM isn't necessarily an instrument of death and destruction, it's what payload you place atop of it.

Answer 5

It depends what kind of war head they are equipped with, ICBM is only a delivery device, the actual weapon is called a war head.

Answer 6

some carry conventional pay loads but most would be nuclear.

Answer 7

They can be, and normally are. But they don't have to be. I suppose that you can attached a conventional warhead to them.

Answer 8

No they are filled with cash prizes and costco memberships.