Nuclear Glossary: Difference between revisions

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SSK- A conventional-powered submarine, with a long range. Used more by the USSR than the US. Newer, top-of-the-line models are quieter and cheaper than nuke boats, but are much slower. Older ones (almost universally based off of later German WWII designs) are just cheaper. These generally aren't designed for nuclear weapon delivery, but as with the SSN, nuclear-tipped torpedoes were for a time used by the USSR and may still be in Chinese stockpiles.

ICBM - Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile. The sort you can launch straight up in the air from North Dakota and hit Moscow. Developed alongside space technology, such missiles literally orbit the Earth (for up to half a complete orbit) while in flight. There is little to no practical difference between an ICBM and all but the heaviest orbital launch systems, and indeed several launch systems are barely-modified ICBMs (the American [[NASA|Atlas rockets]] used to launch Mercury and Gemini capsules are probably the most famous instances).<ref>Peculiarly, the Redstone rocket--which was used to launch the first Mercury missions--was actually a ''short-range'' ballistic missile, not an ICBM.</ref> Hence the brouhaha about the [[North Koreans With Nodongs]] testing the Unha ~~launcher--although~~ there's little doubt that the North Koreans really do want to launch satellites with it, there is also little doubt that the Unha is exactly the same thing as the Taepodong-2 ICBM, which if successfully tested would give North Korea the ability to strike anywhere on the planet.

ICBM - Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile. The sort you can launch straight up in the air from North Dakota and hit Moscow. Developed alongside space technology, such missiles literally orbit the Earth (for up to half a complete orbit) while in flight. There is little to no practical difference between an ICBM and all but the heaviest orbital launch systems, and indeed several launch systems are barely-modified ICBMs (the American [[NASA|Atlas rockets]] used to launch Mercury and Gemini capsules are probably the most famous instances).<ref>Peculiarly, the Redstone rocket--which was used to launch the first Mercury missions--was actually a ''short-range'' ballistic missile, not an ICBM.</ref> Hence the brouhaha about the [[North Koreans With Nodongs]] testing the Unha launcher—although there's little doubt that the North Koreans really do want to launch satellites with it, there is also little doubt that the Unha is exactly the same thing as the Taepodong-2 ICBM, which if successfully tested would give North Korea the ability to strike anywhere on the planet.

SLBM - Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile. Generally smaller, with a shorter range. The advantage being that their missile bases are mobile and stealthy.