Tactical ballistic missile

Ballistic missile designed for short-range use on the battlefield

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Not to be confused with Theatre 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

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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

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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

[edit]

### United States of America

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Name | Operational range | Maximum speed | Introduction | Current status | Operators

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Precision Strike Missile
(PrSM) | 500 km  | 3.5 mach  | 2023  | In service  |  USA
MGM-140
ATACMS | 300 km  | Mach 3  | 1986  | In service  |

See list

*     *  Bahrain
*  Greece
*  Taiwan
*  South Korea
*  Turkey
*  United Arab Emirates
*  Romania
*  Ukraine
*  Morocco

MGM-52
Lance | 120 km  | >Mach 3  | 1972  | In service  |

See list

*     * Belgium
* West Germany
* Israel
* Italy
* Netherlands
* United Kingdom

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

[edit]

| Propellant | Range | Introduction | Withdrawal | Origin | Operators

|
|
|
|
|
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Al-Samoud 2 | Liquid | 0160 180 km | 2001 | 2003 |  Iraq |
Al-Hussein | Liquid  | 600–650 km | 1987 | 1991 |  Iraq |
Blue Water | Solid |  | 1960 (first flight) | cancelled 1962 |  United Kingdom |
MGM-140 ATACMS | Solid  | 0300 300 km | 1986 | 2007 (program terminated, missile remains in service) |  United States |

*  Bahrain
*  Greece
*  Taiwan
*  South Korea
*  Turkey
*  United Arab Emirates
*  Romania
*  Ukraine
*  Morocco

MGM-52 Lance | Liquid  | 0120 120 km | 1972 | 1992 |  United States |

* Belgium
* West Germany
* Israel
* Italy
* Netherlands
* United Kingdom

PGM-11 Redstone | Liquid  | 92.5 km-323 km | 1958 | 1964 |  USA |
Precision Strike Missile |  | >500 km | 2023 |  |  USA |
MGM-18 Lacrosse |  | 19 km | 1959 | 1964 |  USA |
WS-1 |  | 0180 60–180 km | ≈1990 |  |  China |
WS-2 / WS-3 |  | 0180 70–200 km | ≈2004 |  |  China |
DTI-1 |  | 0180 60–180 km |  |  |  Thailand |
Hrim-2 |  | 0180 280–500 km |  |  |  Ukraine |
Shaurya | Two-stage solid  | 700-1900 km | 2011 |  |  India |
Prahaar | Solid  | 150 km | 2011 |  |  India |
Pragati | Solid  | 170 km | 2013 |  |  India |
Pranash | Solid  | 200 km | TBD |  |

India

Pralay | Solid  | 150-500 km | TBD |  |  India |
Ghaznavi (missile) | Solid  | 0320290–320 km | 2004 |  |  Pakistan |
Nasr/Hatf IX | Solid  | 007070 km | 2013 |  |  Pakistan |
Abdali/Hatf-II | Solid  | 0180180 km | 2002 |  |  Pakistan |
Hatf-I | Solid  | 0100 70 km | 1990 |  |  Pakistan |
Hatf-1A | Solid  | 0100 100 km | 1990 |  |  Pakistan |
Hatf-1B | Solid  | 0100 100 km | 1990 |  |  Pakistan |
Sky Spear | Solid  | 0300 120–300 km | 2001 |  |  Taiwan |
J-600T Yıldırım | Solid  | 0900 150–900 km | 1998 |  |  Turkey |
TOROS | Solid  | 0160 100–160 km |  |  |  Turkey |
Bora | Solid  | 0120 280–700 km  | 2017  |  |  Turkey |  Indonesia
T-300 Kasırga |  | 0120 100–120 km |  |  |  Turkey |
R-11 Zemlya | Liquid  | 0700 180 km | 1958 |  |  Soviet Union |
2K1 Mars | Solid  | 0700 7–18 km |  |  |  Soviet Union |
R-17/R-300 Elbrus | Liquid  | 0700 300–700 km | 1964 |  |  Soviet Union |
OTR-21 Tochka | Solid  | 0185 70–185 km | 1975 |  |  Soviet Union |

*  Armenia
*  Azerbaijan
*  Belarus
*  Bulgaria
*  Kazakhstan
*  North Korea
*  Russia
*  Ukraine
*  Syria
*  Yemen
Former:
*  Czechoslovakia
*  Czech Republic
*  East Germany
*  Germany
*  Lithuania
*  Poland
*  Slovakia
*  Soviet Union

OTR-23 Oka | Solid  | 0120 500 km | 1979 | 1987 |  Soviet Union |
2K6 Luna |  | 0050 10–50 km | 1960 | 1982 |  Soviet Union |

*  Afghanistan
* Algeria
* Cuba
* East Germany
* Egypt
* Iraq
* Libya
* North Korea
* Poland
* Romania
* Soviet Union
* Syria
* Yemen
* Yugoslavia

9K52 Luna-M |  | 0050 70 km | 1964 |  |  Soviet Union |

*  Algeria
*  Afghanistan
*  Belarus
*  Egypt
* Libya
*  North Korea
*  Russia
*  Syria
*  Ukraine
*  Yemen
Former
*  Bulgaria
*  Cuba
*  Czechoslovakia
*  East Germany
*  Hungary
*  Iraq
*  Kuwait
* Lebanon
*  Poland
*  Romania
* South Yemen
*  Soviet Union
*  Yugoslavia

LORA |  | 0120 400–800 km | 2005 |  |  Israel |  Azerbaijan

Morocco

Hwasong-11 (KN-02)  | Solid  | 0160 120–160 km | 2008 |  |  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 |  | 0160 380 km | 2019 |  |  North Korea |
9K720 Iskander | Solid  | 0500 400–500 km | 2006 |  |  Russia |
Predator Hawk |  | 0120 300–400km  | 2016 |  |  Israel |  Morocco
Hyunmoo-1 | Solid  | 0500 180 km | 1977 |  |  South Korea |
Hyunmoo-2A | Solid  | 0500 300 km | 2006 |  |  South Korea |
Ure-1 | Solid  | 0500 180 km | 2022 |  |  South Korea |
BRE8 King Dragon/Fire Dragon | Solid  | 0500 280–300 km | 2014? |  |  China |
Burkan-1 |  | 0800 800 km | 2016 |  |  Yemen |
al-Najm al-Thaqib-1 |  | 045 45 km | 2015 |  |  Yemen |
al-Najm al-Thaqib-2 |  | 075 75 km | 2015 |  |  Yemen |
Fajr-5 | Solid  | 180 km | 1990s |  |  Iran |

*  Syria
*  Yemen
*  Iraq
*  Lebanon

Shahab-1 |  | 0350 350 km | 1987 | ~2016 |  Iran |  Syria
Shahab-2 | Liquid  | 500 km | 1990 | 2016 |  Iran |  Syria
Fateh-110 | Solid  | 300 km | 2002 |  |  Iran |

*  Syria
*  Lebanon

Fateh-313 | Solid  | 500 km | 2015 |  |  Iran |  Syria
Qiam 1 | Liquid  | 800 km | 2010 |  |  Iran |  Yemen
Zelzal-1 | Solid  | 160 km | 1990 |  |  Iran |  Syria
Zelzal-2 | Solid  | 210 km | 1998 |  |  Iran |

*  Syria
*  Yemen
*  Lebanon

Zelzal-3 | Solid  | 200–250 km | 2007 |  |  Iran |  Syria
Naze'at 6-H | Solid  | 80–100 km | 1980's |  |  Iran |
Naze'at 10-H | Solid  | 100–130 km | 1980's |  |  Iran |
Jerina-1 | Solid[4] | 285-300 km | 2017 |  |

Serbia

Jerina-2 | Liquid  | 75 km | 2017 |  |

Serbia

## See also

[edit]

* List of missiles

## Notes

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

## References

[edit]

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".

* v
* t
* e

Types of missile

By platform|

* Air-launched ballistic missile (ALBM)
* Air-launched cruise missile (ALCM)
* Air-to-air missile (AAM)
* Air-to-surface missile (ASM)
* Ballistic missile
* Cruise missile
* Intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM)
* Intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM)
* Short-range ballistic missile (SRBM)
* Shoulder-fired missile
* Standoff missile
* Submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM)
* Submarine-launched cruise missile (SLCM)
* Surface-to-air missile (SAM)
* Surface-to-surface missile (SSM)
* Tactical ballistic missile (TBM) * Ground-launched cruise missile (GLCM) * Theatre ballistic missile (TBM) * Medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM)

By target type|

* Anti-ballistic missile (ABM)
* Anti-radiation missile (ARM)
* Anti-satellite weapon (ASAT)
* Anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM)
* Anti-ship missile (AShM)
* Anti-submarine missile (ASuM)
* Anti-tank missile (ATGM)
* Land-attack missile (LAM)
* Man-portable air-defense system (MANPADS)

By guidance|

* Unguided
* Radar guidance
* Radar altimeter
* Active radar homing (ARH)
* Semi-active radar homing (SARH)
* Passive radar
* Passive homing
* Track-via-missile (TVM)
* Anti-radiation
* Command guidance
* Command to line-of-sight (CLOS)
* Command off line of sight (COLOS)
* Manual command to line of sight (MCLOS)
* Semi-automatic command to line of sight (SACLOS)
* Automatic command to line of sight (ACLOS)
* Pursuit guidance
* Beam riding (LOSBR)
* Infrared guidance
* Laser guidance
* Wire guidance
* Satellite guidance
* Global Positioning System (GPS)
* GLONASS
* Inertial guidance
* Astro-inertial guidance
* Terrestrial guidance
* TERCOM
* DSMAC
* Automatic target recognition (ATR)
* Radio guidance
* TV guidance
* Contrast seeker
* Compass
* Predicted line of sight (PLOS)

Lists|

* List of military rockets
* List of missiles
* List of missiles by country
* List of anti-ship missiles
* List of anti-tank missiles
* List of ICBMs
* List of surface-to-air missiles

See also: Sounding rocket

Authority control databases

National|

* United States
* Israel

Other|

* Yale LUX

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