# Minimum range to which an ICBM can be launched

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minimum-range-to-which-an-icbm-can-be-launched/759107>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 5, 2016, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minimum-range-to-which-an-icbm-can-be-launched/759107 "2016-07-05T03:14:35Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
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**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\
**Post date:** [July 5, 2016, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minimum-range-to-which-an-icbm-can-be-launched/759107/2 "2016-07-05T04:07:43Z")

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I found this thread from back in 2007:

> **[Minimum effective range for ICBMs?](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=432077)**
>
> What’s the shortest distance an ICBM can effectively travel? I know they can hit targets on the other side of the world - but if someone took control of, say, a silo in Montana, could they hit a target in the same state? How about New York? Alaska? ...

The links in this quote don’t work any more, but this is one of the answers given:

> [@Minimum effective range for ICBMs?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minimum-effective-range-for-icbms/414915/3):
>
> Found this;
> 
> [http://www.missilethreat.com/missilesoftheworld/id.139/missile\_detail.asp](http://www.missilethreat.com/missilesoftheworld/id.139/missile_detail.asp)
> 
> “Both versions were constrained by a minimum range of 600 km (373 miles) and an accuracy of 550 m CEP.”
> 
> And this:  
> [http://www.missilethreat.com/missilesoftheworld/id.26/missile\_detail.asp](http://www.missilethreat.com/missilesoftheworld/id.26/missile_detail.asp)
> 
> “The CSS-5 can deploy its 600 kg payload with a minimum range of 500 km (311 miles) and a maximum range of 2,150 km (1,336 miles).”
> 
> Which shows missiles do have minimum ranges, but it varies from missile to missile, assuming the references are accurate. Yes I realise the second one isnt really an ICBM, but I suspect the point stands.

This post gives some of the reasons for the minimum range:

> [@Minimum effective range for ICBMs?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/minimum-effective-range-for-icbms/414915/6):
>
> Most ICBMs are programmed to go up, tilt towards their target, and then slo-o-o-owly pitch over to the desired flight path angle. They also have a very very simple algorithm – sometimes hard coded – to run through the first minute of flight. Many of them can’t effectively manage a loop because their gyros would lock up. Also, tilting too quickly while still inside the atmosphere (~100km) puts a bending force on the airframe, which is designed to survive mostly compression-only loads. Turn too sharply at too low of an altitude and you’ll snap the missile like a matchstick using only aerodynamic loads – a neat trick, but what a waste!

**Jurph** also mentions a “cold launch” failure. In a cold launch, the missile is propelled out of the silo and then starts its engines, as opposed to a “hot launch” where the missile starts its engines inside the silo and the engines propel it out. In this case, the missile’s engines did not start and the missile went tail first back into the silo and exploded.

So the minimum distance in that case would be zero. 🙂

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