ICBMs

Latest in ICBMs

Whether or not the U.S. Air Force's new Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) will carry multiple warheads remains to be seen now that a key arms control treaty has expired, but the service is otherwise hopeful that the Sentinel program is now on the right track.
LGM-30 Minuteman III

Number Of Nuclear Warheads New Sentinel ICBMs Will Carry Now An Open Question

By Joseph Trevithick, Howard Altman

Posted on Feb 25, 2026

The construction of new silos for the U.S. Air Force's future LGM-35A Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) means that units charged with defending them will have to update their tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs).
LGM-30 Minuteman III

Security Forces Guarding ICBMs Need Fresh Tactics To Defend New Sentinel Silos

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Feb 19, 2026

U.S. Air Force Global Strike Command says it is prepared to load more warheads onto Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) and restore nuclear weapons capability to the entire B-52 bomber fleet, if called upon to do so.
LGM-30 Minuteman III

USAF Ready To Make All B-52s Nuclear-Capable, Load ICBMs With Multiple Warheads If Directed

By Joseph Trevithick, Howard Altman

Posted on Feb 12, 2026

The U.S. Air Force general who oversees America's intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) force sees a long future ahead for the new LGM-35A Sentinel after it eventually enters service, but has also acknowledged challenges.
LGM-30 Minuteman III

Troubled Sentinel ICBM Program Still Being Restructured Nearly Two Years After Cost Breach

By Joseph Trevithick, Howard Altman

Posted on Jan 27, 2026

China's growing weapons programs puts pressure on intelligence community.
ICBMs

Can U.S. Intel Keep Up With China’s Tsunami Of Weapons Developments?

By Howard Altman, Tyler Rogoway

Posted on Nov 7, 2025

A Russian strategic nuclear forces (SNF) officer inspects a launching tube in the launching center of intercontinental ballistic missiles 20 March 1992 in Drovjanaja, near Cita, in Siberia. The strategic nuclear forces of the Russian Federation consist of ground intercontinental ballistic missiles (IBM) stationary, and also mobile, earth and railway variants of basing, sea and aviation strategic nuclear arms.
ICBMs

Soviets Tested ICBM Silo Defense System That Showered Incoming Warheads With Clouds Of Metal Darts

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Oct 17, 2025

China’s New DF-61 Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Breaks Cover
ICBMs

China’s New DF-61 Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Breaks Cover

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Sep 3, 2025

Russian President Vladimir Putin has raised the possibility of forward deploying new conventionally-armed Oreshnik missiles capable of carrying multiple warheads in neighboring Belarus in the latter half of next year.
ICBMs

Experimental Ballistic Missile Russia Used On Ukraine Could Be Headed To Belarus

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Dec 6, 2024

While it has turned out that the RS-26-based Oreshnik that Russia fired at Ukraine was not a conventionally-armed ICBM, it still highlights the very real interest in, if not more active development and even potential fielding of, a weapon of that kind globally.
ICBMs

Conventionally Armed ICBM Concept Highlighted By Unprecedented Russian Missile Attack On Ukraine

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Nov 22, 2024

A RS-24 Yars intercontinental ballistic missile vehicle during the rehearsals for the Victory Day Military Parade at the polygon, on April 18, 2022 in Alabino, outside of Moscow, Russia. About 12,000 soldiers and officers are expected to take pat at the Red Square Victory Day Military Parade, planned on May 9.
ICBMs

The Story Of Russia’s Secretive RS-26 Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Nov 22, 2024

Russian President Vladimir Putin says his country's forces fired a previously unknown medium-range hypersonic missile called Oreshnik at Ukraine earlier today.
ICBMs

Russia’s Experimental Ballistic Missile Used To Strike Ukraine Is Based On The RS-26 Rubezh

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Nov 21, 2024

Ukraine claims Russia fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) at the city of Dmipro.
ICBMs

Russia’s Unprecedented Ballistic Missile Attack On Ukraine: What We Know

By Howard Altman, Thomas Newdick

Posted on Nov 21, 2024

The U.S. military has not seen demonstrable evidence of North Korea successfully testing a re-entry vehicle capable of bringing a nuclear warhead back down to Earth through the atmosphere, according to America's top officer in the Pacific region.
ICBMs

ICBM Reentry Vehicle Capability Still Unproven By North Korea, U.S. Military Says

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Nov 20, 2024

North Korea has tested an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) that it claims is its longest-ranged so far. The announcement of the test of the Hwasong-19 comes amid large-scale U.S.-South Korean military maneuvers during which their aircraft have bombed mock-ups of North Korean ballistic missile launchers.
ICBMs

North Korea’s New ICBM May Have Biggest Transporter-Erector-Launcher We’ve Ever Seen

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Nov 1, 2024

For the first time in more than four decades, China has fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) out in the Western Pacific, ostensibly for training purposes.
ICBMs

First Chinese ICBM Test Into The Pacific In Decades Is A Big Deal (Updated)

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Sep 25, 2024

The ballooning cost of the US Air Force's Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile program is one of the drivers behind uncertainly over the future of its sixth-generation combat jet effort, which could evolve into a fully uncrewed platform.
ICBMs

Next Generation Air Dominance Fighter Uncertainty Tied To Sentinel ICBM Woes

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Jul 24, 2024