10 Most Powerful Missiles In The World - The Fastest & Most Dangerous
"It is an unfortunate fact that we can secure peace only by preparing for war."
America's 35th President John F. Kennedy once said.
Since then, many wars have been won and lost, but his words still remain credible today
as they were several decades ago.
More so, in this tech-focused 21st century that we live in, where hundreds of millions
of dollars are budgeted and expended on military defense and warfare technologies every year.
And quite rightly so because, unlike in the past, modern combat is not fought and won
with bows, spears, chariots, and numerical advantage.
It is decided by high-intensive shattering AI-backed war machines such as prowling military
aircraft, autonomous superhuman soldiers, sophisticated battleships, and destructive
missiles.
Today we'll dig deep into the military archives and uncover the 10 most powerful, fastest,
and most dangerous missiles in the world.
In the next few minutes, you’ll get to know who owns these weapons and how deadly they
can be.
NUMBER 10: RS 24 Yars
Alternatively called SS-27 Mod 2, the RS 24 Yars is a Russian three-stage solid-propellant
intercontinental ballistic missile.
It is a mobile and silo-based weapon of mass destruction, meaning it can be deployed from
missile launch facilities or military trucks and tankers.
It is an upgraded iteration of the Topol-M ICBM.
This missile is mostly fitted with a minimum of independently targetable warheads, but
it has the capacity to carry as much as ten.
The RS 24 Yars can be launched within seven minutes to wreak havoc on targets within 12,000
kilometers.
It has a top speed of 24,500 km/h and a precision of 150 to 250 meters.
NUMBER 9: Jericho III
Despite being a deeply religious country, Israel is apparently not leaving the safety
of its land and airspace to chance.
The Jericho III, a nuclear-armed medium-range ballistic missile, is the country's first
multi-continental war ammunition.
It weighs less than the RS-24 Yars, with a launch weight of 29,000kg and a payload of
1,000 to 1,300 kg.
The Jericho III is equipped with decoys and numerous independently targeted RVs.
It also comes with a 750kg rated nuclear warhead that delivers a 150 to 450 kilotons yield.
This 15.5-meter long destroyer would usually travel between 4800 to 6500 kilometers, but
it can reach 11,500 kilometers in extreme cases.
NUMBER 8: RS-28 SAMAT
At number eight, we travel yet again to Russia to pay homage to a super scary doomsday weapon.
The RS-28 Samat, which will enter service later this year, is a liquid-fueled long-range
intercontinental ballistic missile designed to reach any location on the earth’s surface.
Yes, you heard that right, the RS-28 SAMAT can make it rain anywhere in the world.
No, we're not talking about the heaven-sent shower that we all relish.
We're talking about the possibility of delivering a payload of 10 tonnes divided between its
10 to 15 multiple independent reentry vehicles on any opposition across the globe.
The RS-28 SAMAT can also transport hypersonic glide vehicles, extending its unrivaled range
and accuracy.
Russia claims that this three-stage war javelin, with a speed of 25,560 km/hr and the capacity
to conceal its flight route, can infiltrate any current military defense in the globe.
NUMBER 7: DongFeng 5B
The DongFeng 5B or DF-5B is a member of the ferocious DongFeng missile family developed
by the People's Democratic Republic of China.
Unlike the DF-5, which is the first projectile in this gang, the DF-5B is a cosmopolitan
liquid-propellant ballistic rocket that travels with multiple independently targetable reentry
vehicles, delivering an accuracy of around 800 meters.
This inertially guided rocket is designed to sneak past military defense systems with
a special decoy and anti-ballistic missile.
One DF-5B missile reportedly costs $20 million and can reach speeds of up to 26,950 kilometers
per hour.
NUMBER 6: LGM-30G Minuteman III
Built by American aerospace company Boeing, the LGM-30G Minuteman III is a surface to
surface silo-based ICBM missile used by the US Air Force global strike command.
It is the third variant of the Minuteman family, a series of land-based nuclear missiles.
The LGM-30G Minuteman III is the first US war projectile to carry MIRVs, with each unit
carrying a warhead of three reentry vehicles.
It weighs 79,432 pounds, has a range of 9,650 kilometers, and travels at a speed of 24,000
kilometers per hour.
Furthermore, it offers inertial guidance, high-end communication infrastructure, and
Mark 12 reentry payload system.
The US government spent $7 billion between 2002 and 2012 to upgrade and extend the life
span of its 500 LGM-30G Minuteman III missiles until 2030.
These brutal weapons are kept under hardened silos to protect them from attacks.
We can only hope they won't have any cause to unleash them anytime soon.
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NUMBER 5: R36M2
The R36M2, also known as the SS-18 Satan, is one of the world's most lethal missiles.
It is also currently recognized as one of Russia's most devastating weapons.
Capable of transporting numerous independent reentry vehicles, each with a yield of 500
to 750 kilotons.
This two-stage liquid-propellant missile is stored inside hard silos, in the same way
as how the United States secure the LGM-30G Minuteman III.
Additionally, the R36M2 has a target range of between 12,000 to 16,000 kilometers and
an error probability of 200 to 700 meters.
Number 4: Poseidon C-3
The Poseidon C-3 is an underwater-launched intercontinental ballistic missile produced
by Lockheed Martin Missiles and Space Division for the US Navy.
This two-stage lethal projectile is 36 feet long and weighs 6,830 pounds.
It runs on solid fuel, which allows it to reach a target range of around 5,300 km or
3,300 miles.
According to the US National Air and Space Museum, each Poseidon C-3 missile can carry
and deliver up to 14 independently targetable nuclear warheads.
NUMBER 5: UGM-133 Trident II
At number four is the second submarine-launched ICBM on our list—fun fact: UGM is the United
States Military designated code for Underwater Guided Missiles.
The UGM-133 Trident II is a three-stage solid-propellant missile with inertial guidance, near-perfect
accuracy, and a unique communication mechanism.
Even if the world's GPS crashed, the UGM-133 Trident II would still reach its target.
It is quite popular amongst the US and British military forces.
One unit of the UGM-133 Trident II was reportedly worth $30.9million in 2019, which is dirt
cheap for a missile, but its $2 billion annual maintenance fee is its biggest disadvantage.
Finally, It has a target range of 7,000 miles and can transport up to 12 nuclear warheads
at a go.
NUMBER 2: Agni V
The Agni V is a long-range nuclear warhead ballistic missile built by India.
It can strike any target within 5,000 km with a high degree of accuracy.
It falls short of the official ICBM range requirement by 500 km, but it's India's closest
attempt at creating a sophisticated ballistic missile.
The Agni V was successfully tested in October 2021 by the Indian Ministry of Defense.
Whispers say the test launch was part of India's "nuclear deterrence" efforts against China
as political tensions caused by a land dispute heightened tensions between both countries.
In fairness to those claims, the Agni V missile range of 5,000 km means it can reach the northernmost
part of the People's Republic of China.
However, it's not as deadly as some of China's hypersonic missiles like the Dongfeng 41.
NUMBER 1: M51 SLBM
Clocking in at number one is the M51 built by the French Navy.
It is one of the world’s most sophisticated and dynamic underwater-launched intercontinental
ballistic missiles.
The M51 is a new generation three-stage projectile that entered service in 2010.
It is 13 meters long, capable of carrying 4-6 MIRVed warheads, and reaching a target
range of 8,000 km.
Additionally, it is powered by solid-propellant boosters and has a circular error probability
of 150 meters.
Sources say 31 countries presently have ongoing ballistic missile programs of different degrees.
The global superpowers have shown a strong desire to dominate this field, which is evident
from the list we just went through.
Whether cold or hot, Russia seems to be battle-ready.
The United States is just about equal or even far more superior to Russia, While China is
doing its best to keep up with both countries.
For the sake of peace, we can only hope that all of these ballistic weapons of mass destruction
will continue to be caged in hardened underground silos where they truly belong.
With that said, would you support the development of more missiles by the world’s superpowers?
Let us know your opinion in the comment section below.
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