# Question about ICBMs with MRV **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 16, 2013, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-icbms-with-mrv/671360 "2013-10-16T00:16:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kurtisokc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bbce88/32.png) [@kurtisokc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kurtisokc)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-icbms-with-mrv/671360/1 "2013-10-16T00:16:55Z")
I know this information is probably classified, but what is the maximum “spread” for different warheads on the same ICBM (intercontinental balistic missle) if it has MRVs (multiple re-entry vehicles)? Would they have to all land within a few miles of each other? Or could it be several tens of miles? Or hundreds of miles? Could a single ICBM launched from Russia have one warhead targeted at Washington, and another at Seattle? ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-icbms-with-mrv/671360/2 "2013-10-16T01:04:30Z")
Here’s a discussion on a different board from [some people who seem to know what they’re talking about.](http://www.airliners.net/aviation-forums/military/read.main/68181/) It implies the maximum distance between impacts is something like 100 miles. However, the Indian Agni-V missile now under development is said to have an improved RV system which increases the spread to “hundreds of kilometers.” But still not Seattle-Washington. ---
**Author:** ![kurtisokc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bbce88/32.png) [@kurtisokc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kurtisokc)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-icbms-with-mrv/671360/3 "2013-10-16T01:17:07Z")
It just occured to me that I didn’t give the best example, since of course Seattle is in Washington. (I was thinking of cities, and momentarily forgot about state names.) ---
**Author:** ![kurtisokc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bbce88/32.png) [@kurtisokc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kurtisokc)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-icbms-with-mrv/671360/4 "2013-10-16T01:19:42Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > Here’s a discussion on a different board from [some people who seem to know what they’re talking about.](http://www.airliners.net/aviation-forums/military/read.main/68181/) It implies the maximum distance between impacts is something like 100 miles. > > However, the Indian Agni-V missile now under development is said to have an improved RV system which increases the spread to “hundreds of kilometers.” > > But still not Seattle-Washington. Thanks for sharing the link. Very interesting. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-icbms-with-mrv/671360/5 "2013-10-16T01:28:11Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > Here’s a discussion on a different board from [some people who seem to know what they’re talking about.](http://www.airliners.net/aviation-forums/military/read.main/68181/) It implies the maximum distance between impacts is something like 100 miles. > > However, the Indian Agni-V missile now under development is said to have an improved RV system which increases the spread to “hundreds of kilometers.” > > But still not Seattle-Washington. Another thing to consider is that the long axis of the ellipse will be along the direction of the missile’s trajectory. So for a Russia -\> US missile, it’ll be north-south more than east-west. 100 miles was between individual warheads, or at least that’s how I read it. So it’s conceivable that someone could hit say… Ft. Worth, Waco, Ft. Hood, Austin and San Antonio with the same warhead, and Houston might be possible as well. New Orleans would be too far east though. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-icbms-with-mrv/671360/6 "2013-10-16T06:15:09Z")
It depended on the class of missile but the difference was hundreds of kms. Enough to hit multiple cities ( an silos) but not say hit different regions. ---
**Author:** ![Blakeyrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@Blakeyrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blakeyrat)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-icbms-with-mrv/671360/7 "2013-10-16T19:18:27Z")
> [@kurtisokc](#): > > Could a single ICBM launched from Russia have one warhead targeted at Washington, and another at Seattle? My brain short-circuited thinking, “Seattle’s _In_ Washington!” Took me a few seconds to figure out you meant Washington, D.C. ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-icbms-with-mrv/671360/8 "2013-10-16T19:35:30Z")
I recall discussion of MIRV busses that had additional boosters during mid-flight. Once out of the atmosphere, the bus would aim, fire rockets, release warhead, re-angle, fire, release warhead, etc. The sooner in the trajectory you vary the trajectory, the wider the spread. If they never built this, then … maybe it was not militarily necessary to hit every corner of the USA (or Russia) with one launch of one missile if they owned 20,000 warheads on each side. ---
**Author:** ![slowlearner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@slowlearner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slowlearner)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2013, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-icbms-with-mrv/671360/9 "2013-10-16T23:55:27Z")
[http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=33b\_1240669658](http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=33b_1240669658) This is a cool video about a MIRV launch that was on youtube and removed, but keeps popping up. A MIRV hitting a population center would be the greatest tragedy in history, but you’d think it was an infomercial selling blenders.