Editing Multiple independently targetable reentry vehicle (section)

{{Short description|Ballistic missile payload containing multiple warheads which are independently targetable}}
{{Redirect|MIRV|the band|M.I.R.V.}}
{{Use American English|date=May 2023}}
[[Image:W87 MX Missile schematic.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|The MIRV U.S. [[LGM-118A Peacekeeper|Peacekeeper]] missile, with the re-entry vehicles highlighted in red.]]
[[Image:W87 MIRV.jpg|thumb|Technicians secure a number of Mk12A re-entry vehicles on a [[LGM-118A Peacekeeper|Peacekeeper]] MIRV bus.]]
[[File:LGM-118A Peacekeeper MIRV.jpg|thumb|upright|LGM-118A Peacekeeper MIRV at the [[National Museum of the United States Air Force]].]]
[[Image:Trident II missile image.jpg|thumb|upright|A [[UGM-133 Trident II|Trident II missile]], operated exclusively by the [[US Navy]] and [[Royal Navy]]. Each missile can carry up to 12 warheads.<ref name="Lockheed Martin UGM-133 Trident II">{{cite web |url=http://www.designation-systems.net/dusrm/m-133.html |title=UGM-133 |last=Parsch |first=Andreas |publisher=Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles |access-date=2014-06-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110315090113/http://www.designation-systems.net/dusrm/m-133.html |archive-date=2011-03-15 |url-status=live }}</ref>]]

A '''multiple independently targetable reentry vehicle''' ('''MIRV''') is an [[atmospheric entry|exoatmospheric]] [[ballistic missile]] payload containing several [[warhead]]s, each capable of being aimed to hit a different target. The concept is almost invariably associated with [[intercontinental ballistic missile]]s carrying [[thermonuclear warhead]]s, even if not strictly being limited to them.  An intermediate case is the [[#MRV|multiple reentry vehicle]] (MRV) missile which carries several warheads which are dispersed but not individually aimed. All [[List of states with nuclear weapons|nuclear-weapon states]] except [[Pakistan and weapons of mass destruction|Pakistan]]{{efn|"Pakistan is confirmed to possess MIRV technology, but there is no confirmation yet that it has deployed MIRV missiles."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.dia.mil/News/Speeches-and-Testimonies/Article-View/Article/1457815/statement-for-the-record-worldwide-threat-assessment/utm_content/buffer03bbe/utm_medium/social/utm_campaign/buffer/utm_content/buffer6e4e7/utm_medium/social/utm_campaign/buffer/?utm_source=twitter.com|title=Statement for the Record: Worldwide Threat Assessment |date=March 6, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180313031732/https://www.dia.mil/News/Speeches-and-Testimonies/Article-View/Article/1457815/statement-for-the-record-worldwide-threat-assessment/utm_content/buffer03bbe/utm_medium/social/utm_campaign/buffer/utm_content/buffer6e4e7/utm_medium/social/utm_campaign/buffer/?utm_source=twitter.com |access-date=March 31, 2024|archive-date=2018-03-13 }}</ref><ref name="Ref1">{{ cite news | author= Usman Haider | author2= Abdul Moiz Khan | title =Why Did Pakistan Test Its MIRV-Capable Ababeel Missile? | newspaper = [[The Diplomat (magazine)|The Diplomat]] | date = 18 November 2023 | url =https://thediplomat.com/2023/11/why-did-pakistan-test-its-mirv-capable-ababeel-missile/ | access-date =11 March 2024}}</ref>}} and [[North Korea]]{{efn|"North Korea claims to possess and have successfully tested a MIRV, but there is no confirmation yet that it has operationally deployed MIRVs on any missiles."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nknews.org/2024/06/north-korea-says-it-successfully-conducted-multiple-warhead-missile-test/|website=NKNews|title=North Korea Says it Successfully Conducted Multiple Warhead Missile Test|date=27 June 2024|access-date=26 June 2024}}</ref>}} are currently confirmed to have deployed MIRV missile systems.

The first true MIRV design was the [[Minuteman III]], first successfully tested in 1968 and introduced into actual use in&nbsp;1970.<ref name=lmtapmilm>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=EcFeAAAAIBAJ&pg=1876%2C3599204 |work=Lewiston Morning Tribune |location=(Idaho) |agency=Associated Press |title=Military says Minuteman missiles ready |date=July 20, 1970 |page=1 |access-date=May 31, 2020 |archive-date=August 28, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200828223736/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=EcFeAAAAIBAJ&pg=1876%2C3599204 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":0">{{cite book |last1= Polmar |first1= Norman |author-link1= Norman Polmar |last2= Norris |first2= Robert S. |date= 2009-07-01 |title= The U.S. Nuclear Arsenal: A History of Weapons and Delivery Systems since 1945 |language= en |edition= 1st |publisher= [[Naval Institute Press]] |isbn= 978-1557506818 |lccn= 2008054725 |oclc= 602923650 |ol= OL22843826M |ref= 2009_Polmar |df= dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://nuclearweaponarchive.org/Usa/Weapons/Mmiii.html |title=The Minuteman III ICBM |access-date=2017-09-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190118234653/http://nuclearweaponarchive.org/Usa/Weapons/Mmiii.html |archive-date=2019-01-18 |url-status=live }}</ref> The Minuteman III held three smaller [[W62]] warheads, with yields of about {{convert|170|ktonTNT}} each in place of the single {{convert|1.2|MtonTNT}} [[W56]] used on the Minuteman II.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=July 2021 |title=Nuclear Chronology |url=https://www.acq.osd.mil/ncbdp/nm/chronology/NuclearChronology_updatedJuly2021.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220812151017/https://www.acq.osd.mil/ncbdp/nm/chronology/NuclearChronology_updatedJuly2021.pdf |archive-date=August 12, 2022 |access-date=January 18, 2024 |website=www.acq.osd.mil}}</ref> From 1970 to 1975, the United States would remove approximately 550 earlier versions of the Minuteman ICBM in the [[Strategic Air Command]]'s (SAC) arsenal and replace them with the new Minuteman IIIs outfitted with a MIRV payload, increasing their overall effectiveness.<ref name=":0" /> The smaller power of the warheads used (W62, W78 and W87) was offset by increasing the accuracy of the system, allowing it to attack the same hard targets as the larger, less accurate, W56.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=March 1, 2019 |title=W87-1 Modification Program |url=https://www.energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2019/03/f60/2019-03-08-FACTSHEET-W87-1.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230326030517/https://www.energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2019/03/f60/2019-03-08-FACTSHEET-W87-1.pdf |archive-date=March 26, 2023 |access-date=January 18, 2024 |website=energy.gov}}</ref> The MMIII was introduced specifically to address the Soviet construction of an [[anti-ballistic missile]] (ABM) system around Moscow; MIRV allowed the US to overwhelm any conceivable ABM system without increasing the size of their own missile fleet. The Soviets responded by adding MIRV to their [[R-36 (missile)|R-36]] design, first with three warheads in 1975, and eventually up to ten in later versions. While the United States phased out the use of MIRVs in ICBMs in 2014 to comply with [[New START]],<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.greatfallstribune.com/story/news/local/2014/06/18/last-malmstrom-icbm-reconfigured-treaty/10773351/|title=Last Malmstrom ICBM reconfigured under treaty|work=Great Falls Tribune|access-date=2018-09-08|language=en|archive-date=2020-08-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200828223736/https://www.greatfallstribune.com/story/news/local/2014/06/18/last-malmstrom-icbm-reconfigured-treaty/10773351/|url-status=live}}</ref> Russia continues to develop new ICBM designs using the technology.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/how-satan-2-icbm-nuclear-weapon-works-2018-3|title=Putin has touted an 'invincible' nuclear weapon that really exists — here's how it works and why it deeply worries experts|work=Business Insider|access-date=2018-09-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180908130742/https://www.businessinsider.com/how-satan-2-icbm-nuclear-weapon-works-2018-3|archive-date=2018-09-08|url-status=live}}</ref>

The introduction of MIRV led to a major change in the strategic balance. Previously, with one warhead per missile, it was conceivable that one could build a defense that used missiles to attack individual warheads. Any increase in missile fleet by the enemy could be countered by a similar increase in interceptors. With MIRV, a single new enemy missile meant that multiple interceptors would have to be built, meaning that it was much less expensive to increase the attack than the defense. This [[cost-exchange ratio]] was so heavily biased towards the attacker that the concept of [[mutual assured destruction]] became the leading concept in strategic planning and ABM systems were severely limited in the 1972 [[Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty]] in order to avoid a massive [[arms race]].

In June 2017 the United States finished converting its Minuteman III missiles back to using a single reentry vehicle system, as part of its obligations under the [[New START]] treaty.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-06-27 |title=The End of MIRVs for U.S. ICBMs |url=https://blog.ucsusa.org/emacdonald/the-end-of-mirvs-for-u-s-icbms/ |access-date=2024-01-19 |website=The Equation |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=NMHB 2020 [Revised] |url=https://www.acq.osd.mil/ncbdp/nm/NMHB2020rev/chapters/chapter3.html |access-date=2024-01-19 |website=www.acq.osd.mil}}</ref>

On November 21, 2024, Russia used a conventionally-armed MIRV system on the [[Oreshnik (missile)|Oreshnik]] [[intermediate-range ballistic missile]] to attack the Ukrainian city of [[Dnipro]], marking their first usage in combat.<ref name="r017" />