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Tactical ballistic missile

Last updated: 2025-07-30 16:25:30

Tactical ballistic missile

The MGM-140 ATACMS tactical ballistic missile firing

A tactical ballistic missile (TBM), or battlefield range ballistic missile (BRBM), is a ballistic missile designed for short-range battlefield use. Typically, range is less than 1,000 kilometres (620 mi).[1] Tactical ballistic missiles are usually mobile to ensure survivability and quick deployment, as well as carrying a variety of warheads to target enemy facilities, assembly areas, artillery, and other targets behind the front lines. Warheads can include conventional high explosive, chemical, biological, or nuclear warheads. Typically tactical nuclear weapons are limited in their total yield compared to strategic nuclear weapons.

Design

Tactical ballistic missiles fill the gap between conventional rocket artillery and longer-range short-range ballistic missiles. Tactical missiles can carry heavy payloads deep behind enemy lines in comparison to rockets or gun artillery, while having better mobility and less expense than the more strategic theatre missiles. Additionally, due to their mobility, tactical missiles are better suited to responding to developments on the battlefield.

For many nations, tactical missiles represent the upper limit of their land-based military equipment. They can provide a powerful weapon for a very economical price, and in some cases are sought to help level the playing field against opponents who are superior in other areas of military technology. Currently, tactical ballistic missile technology remains within reach for nations that may face difficulties in obtaining other advanced military technologies.

Ballistic missiles are still difficult to defeat on the battlefield. Newer air defense systems have improved ability to intercept tactical missiles, but still can not reliably protect assets against ballistic missile threats. This allows a moderate force of missiles to threaten a superior enemy by penetrating their air defenses better than with conventional aircraft, while providing a deeper strike than conventional artillery.

Propulsion

An Iskander-M solid-propelled rocket being launched in an 2018 exercise.

Early large rockets and missiles were propelled by liquid-propellant rocket engines, as the first types developed. These were replaced as soon as possible by solid fuel rocket motors. Liquid propellants involve cryogenic (liquid oxygen) or corrosive (nitric acid) oxidisers. These must be loaded before launch, delaying the rocket's time into action. This delay was a problem for large strategic missiles, but especially so for tactical.

Missiles, particularly in the Soviet Union, switched to using storable liquid propellants such as IRFNA, inhibited nitric acid. These were still hazardous to handle, but could be stored pre-loaded in the missile. This also allowed the development of single vehicle transporter erector launchers (TEL), rather than the previous convoy of carriers, launchers, fuel vehicles and service vehicles.

Western missiles adopted solid propellants instead,[i] which were inherently storable, and later Warsaw Pact missiles followed suit. Tactical missiles are now almost universally solid-fuelled, except for some states using indigenous derivatives of the original Scud platform.

Country specific tactical ballistic missiles

United States of America

NameOperational rangeMaximum speedIntroductionCurrent statusOperators
Precision Strike Missile
(PrSM)		 500 km 3.5 mach 2023 In service USA
MGM-140
ATACMS		 300 km Mach 3 1986 In service
MGM-52
Lance		 120 km >Mach 3 1972 In service
MGM-18
Lacrosse		 19 km Mach 0.8 1959 Decommissioned USA(Former)
PGM-11
Redstone		 92.5 - 323.5 km Mach 5.5 1958 Decommissioned USA(Former)

Specific TBMs

PropellantRangeIntroductionWithdrawalOriginOperators
Al-Samoud 2 Liquid 180 km20012003 Iraq
Al-Hussein Liquid 600–650 km19871991 Iraq
Blue Water Solid 1960 (first flight)cancelled 1962 United Kingdom
MGM-140 ATACMS Solid 300 km19862007 (program terminated, missile remains in service) United States
MGM-52 Lance Liquid 120 km19721992 United States
PGM-11 Redstone Liquid 92.5 km-323 km19581964 USA
Precision Strike Missile >500 km2023 USA
MGM-18 Lacrosse 19 km19591964 USA
WS-1 60–180 km≈1990 China
WS-2 / WS-3 70–200 km≈2004 China
DTI-1 60–180 km Thailand
Hrim-2 280–500 km Ukraine
Shaurya Two-stage solid 700-1900 km2011 India
Prahaar Solid 150 km2011 India
Pragati Solid 170 km2013 India
Pranash Solid 200 kmTBD

India
Pralay Solid 150-500 kmTBD India
Ghaznavi (missile) Solid 290–320 km2004 Pakistan
Nasr/Hatf IX Solid 70 km2013 Pakistan
Abdali/Hatf-II Solid 180 km2002 Pakistan
Hatf-I Solid 70 km1990 Pakistan
Hatf-1A Solid 100 km1990 Pakistan
Hatf-1B Solid 100 km1990 Pakistan
Sky Spear Solid 120–300 km2001 Taiwan
J-600T Yıldırım Solid 150–900 km1998 Turkey
TOROS Solid 100–160 km Turkey
Bora Solid 280–700 km 2017 Turkey
T-300 Kasırga 100–120 km Turkey
R-11 Zemlya Liquid 180 km1958 Soviet Union
2K1 Mars Solid 7–18 km Soviet Union
R-17/R-300 Elbrus Liquid 300–700 km1964 Soviet Union
OTR-21 Tochka Solid 70–185 km1975 Soviet Union
OTR-23 Oka Solid 500 km19791987 Soviet Union
2K6 Luna 10–50 km19601982 Soviet Union
9K52 Luna-M 70 km1964 Soviet Union
LORA 400–800 km2005 Israel Azerbaijan

Morocco

Hwasong-11 (KN-02) Solid 120–160 km2008 North Korea Syria
Hwasong-11A (KN-23) Solid 450 km[2] 2018 North Korea
Hwasong-11B (KN-24) Solid 410 km[3] 2019 North Korea
Hwasong-11D Solid 100–300 km 2022 North Korea
KN-25 380 km2019 North Korea
9K720 Iskander Solid 400–500 km2006 Russia
Predator Hawk 300–400km 2016 Israel Morocco
Hyunmoo-1 Solid 180 km1977 South Korea
Hyunmoo-2A Solid 300 km2006 South Korea
Ure-1 Solid 180 km2022 South Korea
BRE8 King Dragon/Fire Dragon Solid 280–300 km2014? China
Burkan-1 800 km2016 Yemen
al-Najm al-Thaqib-1 45 km2015 Yemen
al-Najm al-Thaqib-2 75 km2015 Yemen
Fajr-5 Solid 180 km1990s Iran
Shahab-1 350 km1987~2016 Iran Syria
Shahab-2 Liquid 500 km19902016 Iran Syria
Fateh-110 Solid 300 km2002 Iran
Fateh-313 Solid 500 km2015 Iran Syria
Qiam 1 Liquid 800 km2010 Iran Yemen
Zelzal-1 Solid 160 km1990 Iran Syria
Zelzal-2 Solid 210 km1998 Iran
Zelzal-3 Solid 200–250 km2007 Iran Syria
Naze'at 6-H Solid 80–100 km1980's Iran
Naze'at 10-H Solid 100–130 km1980's Iran
Jerina-1 Solid[4] 285-300 km2017

Serbia
Jerina-2 Liquid 75 km2017

Serbia

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ The liquid-fuelled MGM-52 Lance was one exception, remaining in service until the end of the Cold War.

References

  1. ↑ Davenpot, Kesley. "Worldwide Ballistic Missile Inventories". Arms Control Association. Retrieved 21 May 2025.
  2. ↑ "KN-23". Missile Threat. Retrieved 12 March 2021.
  3. ↑ "KN-24". Missile Threat. Retrieved 12 March 2021.
  4. ↑ "EDePro, Engine Development and Production".

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