Jane’s Strategic Weapon Systems

Content Structure
Jane’s Strategic Weapon Systems has been designed to present the known facts about weapon systems and treaties within a broad definition of the term ‘strategic’, in a format for easy reference. Some of the information is published in other Jane’s publications, but a standard format has been adopted in Jane’s Strategic Weapon Systems. In preparing each edition the Editor has had to selectively assess the sometimes conflicting available information, and at times fresh interpretations have been made. However, the aim throughout has been to provide the user with an impartial assessment, and to try to provide further information in those areas where there are few details available at the present time.

Structure
This title has been constructed around six main sections, entitled Offensive Weapons, Defensive Weapons, Arms Control Treaties, Weapon Inventories, Satellite Launch Vehicles, Obsolete Systems.

• Offensive Weapons - This section contains systems with the capability of carrying nuclear, biological or chemical warheads of mass destruction, although it is known that some have not been fitted or tested with such warheads to date. This section contains entries for ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, surface-to-surface missiles, air-to-surface missiles and nuclear bombs.
• Defensive Weapons - This section contains entries that are Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) systems, designed to intercept the re-entry vehicles of intercontinental ballistic missiles, with a range exceeding 5,500 km. This section also contains defensive systems designed for use against theatre systems, that is short-range and intermediate range ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, surface-to-surface missiles, air-to-surface missiles, aircraft or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles/Remotely Piloted Vehicles (UAV/RPV). The theatre defensive systems may be land- or sea-based. In addition, this section includes anti-satellite systems.
• Arms Control Treaties - At the beginning of the Arms Control Treaties section there are some outline notes on each treaty, giving a brief history and status, and also the key treaty provisions. This is followed with each of the relevant arms control treaties with the complete text of the agreement, as well as protocols and agreed statements supporting the treaties.
• Weapon Inventories - Tables of offensive and defensive weapon systems give the key specifications of different categories of weapons by country, so that a quick comparison can be made.
• Satellite Launch Vehicles - Satellite Launch Vehicles (SLV) have been included as there are several countries that have closely related SLV and ballistic missile development programmes. This section provides a brief overview of the major capabilities of SLV, which can help when considering the possible capabilities that might be available in a particular country for ballistic missile projects.
• Obsolete Systems - The Obsolete Systems section contains an historic section with entries describing obsolete ballistic and cruise missile systems and obsolete ABM systems. This section also contains a small number of weapons that did not enter service, but have a special significance. The purpose of retaining data on obsolete systems is twofold; to assist military historians, and to assist the analysis of new systems by comparison with earlier designs.

Record Structure
The Offensive Weapons and Defensive Weapons sections’ entries are written in a standard format, each entry having six main paragraphs as follows:

• Type - Includes a brief description of the weapon system, indicating the range and use.
• Development - Includes the timescales for the weapon research and development phases, the different marks or versions developed and the carrier platforms.
• Description - Explains the major operating modes of the weapon system, as well as the size of the weapon, guidance and control methods used and the propulsion system.
• Specifications - Lists the major parameters of each system, for easy reference.
• Status - Discusses the development and in-service phases of the system, numbers of missiles in service, flight testing programmes, and details the countries operating each system.
• Contractors - Mentions the prime contractors, second source lead company or the design bureau for each system. For some weapon systems there is insufficient data available to make a full entry, and in these instances all the information is included under the description paragraph.

Images
In addition to these standardised entries, there are photographs or diagrams of the weapon systems whenever these are available. The pictures and diagrams are followed by a seven-digit number for ease of identification by Jane’s image library.

Other Information
Most of the information provided in Jane’s Strategic Weapon Systems comes from the governments or manufacturers concerned, but this has not always been available. In certain instances, therefore, we have made interpretations on specific weapon capabilities that reflect a different appraisal of the available information and evidence, looking at the likelihood and realism of particular technologies and capabilities rather than accepting what has been provided.

Above all, we have tried to be objective and impartial and when we do not know certain facts we have said so. There is a difficulty in translating missile names from several languages, and in some instances the text indicates alternative spellings for some of the names. There are a number of terms whose meaning needs defining, the most important of which are ‘strategic’, ‘range’, ‘defensive’ and ‘offensive’. Strictly, the “ability to strike at the heart of a nation at will” is a definition of ‘strategic’ that is independent of the range of the missiles themselves. This is accepted by most nations for their ship-/submarine- based forces. It is also the definition that has been applied, particularly by the Russian Federation, to land-based forces. For example, the Russian Federation viewed the European based US missiles, such as the Pershing and ground-based cruise missiles, as strategic, as did the US for the Russian ballistic missiles placed in Cuba in 1962. Clearly, however, such a generalised definition of ‘strategic’ is unsatisfactory for treaty negotiation purposes as it would be both inadequate and ‘catch all’. Hence, it has sometimes been defined in the treaty forum as a numerical range requirement of at least 5,500 km, this being the minimum separation between the US and the Russian Federation in the direction across the Atlantic Ocean. Both of the negotiating powers applied this range requirement to their land-based missiles whilst classifying all ship-/submarine-based forces as strategic, irrespective of their range. The START agreements of 1991 added a further definition for cruise missiles, defining those with a range in excess of 600 km when airlaunched as strategic weapons. Unfortunately, there is no clear definition of a cruise missile, and popular usage has adopted the term as applicable to air-to-surface and surface to- surface missiles with a range in excess of 50 km.

The definition of range has long been one of the most contentious issues about weapons. Most manufacturers are extremely sensitive to the figures quoted. With land launched air-breathing systems, the ranges generally represent the maximum kinematic range achievable without headwinds. For sea-launched systems they generally represent stationary surface launch and not submerged launch ranges, and for air-launched systems the quoted ranges are generally for launch at high altitude. Thus, in each case the best range figures considered to be achievable under favourable conditions are those claimed. Offensive ballistic weapon systems with ranges below 5,500 km fall into either the ‘intermediate range’ category, with ranges of 500 km to 5,500 km, or the ‘shorter range’ category, with ranges below 500 km. Significantly, however, the 1987 INF agreement introduced changes in the definition of the ‘range’ of missiles in these sub-strategic groups. Until this treaty came into force, ‘range’ meant the computed maximum possible range of a missile, but it has now been redefined as the operational range, or the maximum range flown in trials. This produces range values that are about two thirds of the maximum computed range. For treaty negotiation purposes this change was both necessary and welcome, for it eliminated the disputes that surrounded the maximum range calculations.

The division of weapon systems into ‘Offensive’ and ‘Defensive’ categories is not without inconsistency. Some systems, such as anti-satellite weapons, are currently regarded as defensive weapons. A reasonable proportion of the world’s satellites is used either directly or indirectly for military purposes, and hence in war might be attacked. This could result in anti-satellite weapons being regarded as offensive weapons, but for the time being ASAT systems are classified as Defensive Weapons.

Country Inventories list the known offensive and defensive weapons in service or in development by individual countries. A Glossary contains the general terms that have been abbreviated in the text. This is followed by an Executive Overview, which highlights the major issues and changes during the last 12 months. In all the main sections the entries are listed by country and individually in alphabetical order. In the last section there is an Alphabetical Index where all the entries are listed in order, and some entries are listed twice.

The entries are ordered by the first letter of the designator, and the first letter of the name. For example, the RGM-109 Tomahawk is listed as RGM-109 and as Tomahawk. The Contractors section contains addresses and contact data, with the contractors listed in alphabetical order, and this is followed by the Alphabetical Index with page numbers beside each entry.

Sections

• Analysis
• Arms control treaties
• Contractors
• Country inventories - in development
• Country inventories - in service
• Defensive weapons
• Glossary
• Obsolete systems - offensive/defensive weapon systems
• Offensive weapons
• Satellite launch vehicle programmes
• Satellite launch vehicles
• Weapon inventories - offensive/defensive weapons tables

Commonly Used Terms
Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration (US), Advanced Kinetic Energy Missile, Air Defence, Air Defence Anti-Tank System, Air Directed Air-to-Air Missile, Air Directed Surface-to-Air Missile, Air Force Base, Air Intercept Missile designator (US), Air Operations Centre, Airborne Early Warning, Airborne Launch Control Centre, Airborne Tactical Laser, Airborne Warning And Control System, Air-Breathing Threats, aircraft carrier, Air-Launched Cruise Missile, Air-Sol Moyenne Portée (air-to-surface medium-range) (France), Air-to-Ground Missile designator (US), Air-to-Surface Missile, air-to-surface missile designator (Russian Federation), Anti-Ballistic Missile, Anti-Personnel/Anti-Material, Anti-Radar Missile, anti-satellite weapon, Anti-Submarine Rocket, Anti-Submarine Warfare or Weapon, Anti-Tactical Ballistic Missile, Anti-Tactical Missile, Armoured Box Launcher or Airborne Laser, Army Tactical Missile System, Ascent Phase Intercept, Attack and Launch Early Reporting to Theatre, Ballistic Missile, Ballistic Missile Defence, Ballistic Missile Defense Organization (US), Ballistic Missile Early Warning System, ballistic missile nuclear-powered submarine, Basic Point Defence Missile System, Battery Command Post, Battle Management Command Control and Communications, Biological Warfare, Boost Phase Interceptor, Built-In Test Equipment, Cadmium Mercury Telluride, Capsule Launch System, Charge Coupled Diode (tv camera), Chemical and Biological Weapons, Chemical Oxygen Iodine Laser, Chemical Weapons Convention, Chinese space launch vehicle designator, Chinese space launch vehicle designator, Chinese submarine-launched ballistic missile designator, Chinese Surface-to-Air missile (Navy) designator (NATO), Chinese Surface-to-Surface (Navy) missile designator (NATO), Chinese surface-to-surface missile designator, Chinese Surface-to-Surface missile designator (NATO, Circular Error of Probability, Close in Air Defence, Close In Weapon System, Command to Line Of Sight, Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, Continental United States, Continuous Wave or Chemical Warfare, Conventional Cruise Missile, Cruise Missile Defence, Cruise Missile or countermeasures, Defence and Space Talks, Defence Research and Development Laboratories (India), Defense Support Programme (US early warning satellite system), Department of Defense (US), design and manufacturing facility (Russian Federation), Designating Optical Tracker, Digital Scene Matching Area Correlation, Directed Energy Weapons, Divert and Axial Control System, Dong Feng (East Wind - Chinese ballistic missile designator), Early Warning, Early Warning Radar, Electromagnetic Gun, Electromagnetic Interference, Electromagnetic Launcher, Electromagnetic Pulse, Electronic Counter-Countermeasures, Electronic Countermeasures, Electronic Support Measures, Electro-Optical, Electro-Optical Sensor, Electrothermal-Chemical, Engineering and Manufacturing Development, Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile, Exoatmospheric Kill Vehicle, experimental mobile-launched surface attack guided missile designator (US), Family of Air Missile Systems, Fast Attack Craft, Fibre Optic Guidance, Field Of View, Fire-Control Radar (engagement), Fire-Control System, Fiscal Year, Fleet Ballistic Missile, Focal Plane Array, Follow-On Forces Attack, Forward Area Air Defence, Forward Looking Infra-Red, Fractional Orbital Bombardment System, Free Electron Laser, Free Rocket Anti-Submarine, Free Rocket Over Ground, Fuel-Air Explosive, Full Operational Capability or Fibre Optic Cable, Full-Scale Development, Future Anti-Satellite weapon, Future Surface-to-Air Family (Aster), Geostationary Earth Orbit or Geosynchronous Earth Orbit, Geostationary Transfer Orbit, Global Positioning System, Ground-Based Interceptor, Ground-Based Laser, Ground-Based Radar, Ground-Launched Cruise Missile, Guidance and Control, guided missile cruiser, guided missile destroyer, guided missile frigate, Guided Missile Launch System, guided missile patrol craft, Guided Weapon System (naval) (UK), Hard Mobile Launcher, Hard Target Kill Probability, Hardware-In-The-Loop, High Earth Orbit, High Energy Laser, High Energy Laser Experimental, High Explosive, High Frequency, High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle, High Power Microwave, Highly Enriched Uranium, High-speed Anti-Radar Missile, Hit-To-Kill, Homeland Defence Force (Russian Federation), Home-On-Jam, Homing All the Way Killer, Homing Overlay Experiment, Hydroxyl Terminated Polybutadiene (solid propellant), Hypervelocity Gun, Hypervelocity Missile, Identification Friend or Foe, Imaging Infra-Red, Impact Point Prediction, Improved High Explosive, Inertial Measurement Unit, Inertial Navigation System, In-Flight Target Update, Infra-Red, Infra-Red Search And Track, Inhibited Red Fuming Nitric Acid, Initial Operating Capability, In-Service Date, Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile, Intermediate range Nuclear Forces (Treaty), Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missile, International Atomic Energy Agency, Interupted Continuous Wave Illumination, Japanese Air Self-Defence Force, Japanese Ground Self-Defence Force, Jet Vane Control, Joint Programme Office, Joint Tactical Information Distribution System, kilogram, kilojoules, kilometres, kilotonnes, kilovolts, kilowatts, Kinetic Energy, Kinetic Energy Weapon, Kinetic Kill Vehicle, Land Attack Cruise Missile, Large or Long-range Phased-Array Radar, Laser (light) Detection And Ranging, laser associé à une tourelle experimentale (laser system in experimental turret) (France), Laser Dazzle Sight, Laser Detection And Ranging, Laser-Guided Bomb, Launch Assist Device, Launch Point Prediction, Lightweight Exoatmospheric Projectile, Limited Test Ban Treaty, Liquid Rocket Booster, Lobe On Receive Only, Local Area Missile System, Long Wavelength Infra-Red, Low Earth Orbit, Low-Level Air Defence System, Low-Light Television, Mach number (velocity relative to speed of sound), Magneto Hydrodynamic, Main Battle Tank, Manoeuvring Re-entry Vehicle, Mean Time Between Failures, Medium Extended Air Defence System, Medium Wave Infra-Red, Medium-range Surface-to-Air Missile, megajoules, megatonnes, megawatts, Memorandum of Understanding, Mer-Sol Balistique Stratégique (submarine-launched ballistic missile) (France), Mid Infra-Red Advanced Chemical Laser, millimetric wave, Miniature Homing Vehicle, Minuteman series, missile design bureau (Russian Federation), missile d'interception et de combat aerien (combat and air intercept missile) (France), Missile Engagement Zone, Missile Reference Command to Line Of Sight, Missile Technology Control Regime, mobile surface attack guided missile designator (US), mobile-launched surface-to-air missile designator (US), Modified Air Defence System, Multiple Independently Targeted Re-Entry Vehicle, multiple launch environment surface attack missile designator (US), Multiple Launch Rocket System, Multiple Re-entry Vehicle, Mutual Assured Destruction, National Missile Defence, NATO Anti-Air Warfare System, NATO Sea Sparrow surface Missile System, Non-Line Of Sight, Non-Proliferation Treaty, North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, Norwegian adapted HAWK, Nuclear Depth Bomb, Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, Nuclear, Biological, Chemical, nuclear-powered submarine with surface-to-surface missiles, optical scene correlation, Outer Space Treaty, Over-The-Horizon Radar, Palletised Loading System, Penetration Aid Carrier or Patriot Advanced Capability, People's Republic of China, Permissive Action Link, Phased-Array Radar, Phased-Array Tracking to Intercept On Target, Pilotage In Force (control by thrust), Point Defence, Point Defence Missile System, Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, Post-Boost Vehicle, Precision Guided Munition (guided bomb), Probability of kill, Product Improvement Programme, Pulse Repetition Frequency, Radar Absorbent Material, Radar Cross-Section, Radar Scene Correlation, Radio Frequency, Range Only Radar, Rapid Deployment Launcher, Re-entry Vehicle, Remotely Piloted Vehicle, Request For Proposals, Research and Development, Rest Of World, Revolutions Per Minute, Russian (Sary Shagan) ABM designator (NATO), Russian air-to-surface missile designator (NATO), Russian ground-launched cruise missile designator (NATO), Russian surface-to-air (navy) missile designator(NATO), Russian surface-to-air missile designator (NATO), Russian surface-to-surface missile (navy) designator (NATO), Russian surface-to-surface missile designator (NATO), Satellite Launch Vehicle, Semi-Armour Piercing, Ship- or Submarine-Launched Cruise Missile, Ship Self-Defence System, ship-launched surface attack missile designator (US), ship-launched surface-to-air missile designator (US), Ship's Inertial Navigation System, Short-Range Air Defence, Short-Range Attack Missile, Short-Range Ballistic Missile, Short-Range Hit-to-kill missile, Short-Wave Infra-Red, silo-launched surface attack guided missile designator (US), Small Intercontinental Ballistic Missile, Solid Rocket Booster, Sol-Sol Balistique Stratégique (surface-to-surface ballistic missile) (France), Sous-marines Nucléaire Lanceur d'Engins balistique (nuclear ballistic missile submarine) (France), Space Launcher, Space-Based Interceptor, Space-Based Laser, Space-Based Radar, Standing Consultative Commission (for ABM Treaty), Standoff Land Attack Missile, Standoff Weapon, Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty, Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, Strategic Defense Initiative, Strategic Defense System, Strategic Nuclear Delivery Vehicle, Submarine Rocket, submarine with anti-submarine weapons, submarine with surface-to-surface missiles, submarine, attack nuclear-powered, Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile, Subsonic Cruise Armed Decoy, Surface-to-Air Missile, Surface-to-Surface Missile, Synthetic Aperture Radar, System Development and Demonstration, Système d'Autodéfense Moyenne Portée (medium-range surface-to-air missile system), Système Navale d'Autodéfense Anti-Missile (naval surface-to-air anti-missile system), Tactial Air Operations Centre, Tactical High-Energy Laser, Tactical Information Datalink, Target Object Map or Threat Object Map, television, Terminal Imaging Radar or Tracking and Illuminating Radar, Terminally Guided Submunition, Terrain Comparison or Terrain Contour Matching, Theatre (or Tactical) Ballistic Missile, Theatre High-Altitude Area Defence, Theatre Missile Defence, Threshold Test Ban Treaty, Thrust Vector Control, Tomahawk Land Attack Missile Conventional, Tomahawk Land Attack Missile Nuclear, Tomahawk Land Attack Missile submunitions warhead, Torpedo Tube, Track-Via-Missile, Track-While-Scan, Transporter-Erector-Launcher And Radar vehicle, Transporter-Erector-Launcher vehicle, Travelling Wave Tube, Ultra-High Frequency, Ultra-Violet, underwater launched underwater attack guided missile designator (US), underwater-launched surface attack guided missile designator (US), United Kingdom, United States, United States Air Force, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle, Unsymmetrical Dimethyl Hydrazine, US Marine Corps, US Navy, User Operational Evaluation System, Vehicle Sous-Marine (underwater vehicle) (France), velocity at burnout, Vertical Launch System, Very High Frequency, Very Short Range Air Defence, Weapons Free Zone, Weapons of Mass Destruction

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