In a striking escalation of hostilities, Ukraine has accused Russia of deploying an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) against Ukraine, a development reported by the BBC. If confirmed, this would mark the first use of such a weapon in the nearly three-year-long conflict.
ICBMs, designed for delivering nuclear payloads over vast distances, are rarely deployed in active combat due to their destructive potential. This incident reignites discussions about the role of these powerful weapons in modern warfare and geopolitics.
What are Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs)?
Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) are advanced missile systems capable of traveling over 5,500 kilometers, carrying nuclear or conventional warheads. Their development was a Cold War milestone as the United States and the Soviet Union sought to outpace each other in creating long-range, precise, and devastating delivery systems.
ICBMs follow a three-phase trajectory:
Boost Phase: The missile is launched and propelled into space using rocket engines, lasting about 3–5 minutes.
Midcourse Phase: The missile coasts through space, often releasing multiple warheads and decoys to complicate interception efforts.
Terminal Phase: The warheads re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere and descend toward their targets.
Once launched, most ICBMs can reach their targets in 30–45 minutes, depending on the distance. With hypersonic speeds exceeding 24,000 km/h, the missile spends the majority of its flight in space before the warheads re-enter the atmosphere.
How Much Destruction Can an ICBM Cause?
The scale of destruction caused by an ICBM depends on its payload and the type of warhead it carries. A single nuclear warhead can unleash devastation comparable to the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, but modern ICBMs often carry multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles (MIRVs).
These warheads, when detonated, can cause massive destruction over areas spanning up to 2,500 square kilometers, depending on their yield and altitude of detonation.
Beyond physical destruction, the resulting radioactive fallout and electromagnetic pulse (EMP) can cripple entire regions, disrupt communication, and render areas uninhabitable for decades.
The Most Advanced ICBMs So Far
Several ICBMs today push the boundaries of military technology with unparalleled precision, range, and speed.
RS-28 Sarmat (“Satan 2”) – Russia: Dubbed the world’s most powerful ICBM, the RS-28 Sarmat can carry up to 10 MIRVs or hypersonic glide vehicles. With a range exceeding 18,000 kilometers, it is designed to bypass missile defense systems and strike any location on Earth.
DF-41 – China: A road-mobile ICBM capable of carrying 10-12 warheads with a range of over 12,000 kilometers, making it a critical component of China’s strategic deterrence.
Minuteman III – United States: While aging, the Minuteman III has been consistently upgraded, ensuring reliability in delivering nuclear payloads across vast distances.
Agni-VI – India (Under Development): India is working on Agni-VI, which is expected to carry MIRV warheads and have a range exceeding 12,000 kilometers, enhancing India’s second-strike capabilities.
ICBMs in other Nations
India: India’s ICBM program is centered around the Agni series. The Agni-V, with a range of 5,500–8,000 kilometers, is operational and forms the backbone of India’s deterrence. The upcoming Agni-VI is expected to enhance survivability with MIRV capabilities. As a no-first-use (NFU) nuclear policy state, India’s ICBMs aim to deter aggression rather than provoke.
Iran: While Iran is not known to possess operational ICBMs, its missile program has made significant strides. The Sejjil-2, with a range of around 2,000 kilometers, represents Iran’s aspirations to extend its reach. Concerns persist over whether advancements in medium-range ballistic missiles (MRBMs) could eventually lead to ICBM development.
North Korea: North Korea’s Hwasong-17, tested in 2022, has an estimated range of 15,000 kilometers, making it capable of reaching the continental United States. Its ongoing advancements in missile technology highlight its growing capability and strategic ambitions.
France and the United Kingdom: Both nations operate submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) like the M51 (France) and Trident II D5(UK), which double as strategic deterrents in their nuclear arsenals.
Strategic Importance of ICBMs
ICBMs play a crucial role in nuclear deterrence, ensuring that any adversary contemplating aggression faces catastrophic retaliation. This principle of mutual assured destruction (MAD) underpins global nuclear stability.
However, ICBMs are also geopolitical tools. A nation’s ability to develop and deploy these weapons demonstrates technological prowess, military strength, and global influence.
ICBMs in Modern Conflict: The Ukraine Context
Russia’s alleged use of an ICBM against Ukraine raises significant questions about the evolving nature of warfare. While it remains unclear if the missile carried a nuclear or conventional warhead, the implications are profound:
Escalation of Hostilities: Using an ICBM signals an intent to escalate the conflict, potentially sending a message to NATO and Ukraine’s allies.
Psychological Impact: Even without nuclear payloads, the deployment of such weapons can instill fear and uncertainty, demonstrating an aggressor’s technological superiority.
Global Response: This could prompt a reevaluation of arms control agreements, as the world grapples with the potential misuse of these strategic assets in conventional wars.
Challenges in Regulating ICBMs
Efforts to regulate ICBMs have historically relied on arms control treaties, such as the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) and New START. However, modern challenges complicate regulation:
Technological Evolution: Hypersonic glide vehicles and MIRVs render detection and interception efforts increasingly difficult.
Proliferation Risks: Nations like North Korea and Iran have made rapid advancements, raising concerns about regional security.
Geopolitical Rivalries: Renewed tensions among global powers hinder collective efforts toward disarmament.
Ethical & Religious Perspectives on Wars
The use of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs), including ICBMs, raises profound ethical and religious concerns. Ethical and religious teachings, emphasize the sanctity of life and the importance of avoiding excessive destruction in conflict.
Ethical principles of warfare also advocate proportionality and the protection of non-combatants, making the indiscriminate devastation caused by WMDs fundamentally incompatible with these values. This ethical stance resonates with broader humanitarian principles, urging restraint and advocating for peace over annihilation.
Fight in the cause of God only against those who wage war against you, but do not exceed the limits. Indeed, God does not like transgressors. Quran 2:190
On that account: We ordained for the Children of Israel that if anyone [of you] kills a person – unless it is for murder or for spreading mischief in the land – it would be as if [you] slew the whole people: and if anyone saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole people. Then although there came to them Our messengers with clear signs, yet, even after that, many of them continued to commit excesses in the land. Quran 5:32
And what is it with you? You do not fight in the cause of God and for oppressed men, women, and children who cry out, “Our Lord! Deliver us from this land of oppressors! Appoint for us a saviour; appoint for us a helper—all by Your grace.” Quran 4:75
Abdullah ibn Mas’ud reported the Prophet (ﷺ) as saying: “Beware! The extremists perished,” saying it three times. Sunan Abi Dawud 4608
Narrated Jarir bin Abdullah: Allah’s Messenger (s) said, “Allah will not be merciful to those who are not merciful to mankind.“ Sahih Bukhari, Vol. 9, Book 93, Hadith 473,
Lessons from Ukraine
The alleged use of an ICBM in Ukraine is a stark reminder of the destructive potential of these weapons and their ability to reshape modern conflicts. While these systems were traditionally considered tools of deterrence, their deployment in active combat underscores the fragility of international arms control mechanisms.
For nations like India, which is steadily advancing its missile program, this incident highlights the immense responsibility that accompanies technological power. As a global advocate for peace and stability, India must balance its strategic needs with efforts to strengthen international arms control frameworks.
The world stands at a critical juncture. The choices made today about ICBMs will determine the trajectory of global security for generations to come.
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