I realise that publicly available information on this topic is limited but having come across the scenario in several different places lately I was wondering.
Several movies and games (well one anyway) have the hero*(oes)* saving the day at the last moment by broadcasting an abort or redirect code to an active ICBM so that it either fails to detonate or lands off target.
How realistic is this, I was always under the impression that as soon as an ICBM leaves its launch pad there is no way to abort or redirect it, if only for the reason that if you can do that then there’s a chance your enemy can also do thereby rendering your nuclear deterrent ineffective.
btw also a thread title that could use ‘need answer fast!’
Ballistic missiles are ballistic missiles. That means once the motor burns out after a few minutes, newton is in the driving seat.
Okay, that’s not completely true. ICBMs equipped with MIRVs have lots of individuality targetable warheads, that’s enough to guide them onto various targets in the general area. But it’s not like you could steer them away into the middle of the pacific if they were aimed at Moscow.
Is it always ICBMs they do this with in the movies? I thought some were more like cruise missiles. Those at least plausibly could be redirected in flight, though I suspect it’s not actually possible.
Its a plot point in the game Modern Warfare and in the movies Spies Like Us, Peacekeeper (I had a third example but its gone from my mind) and the book Arclight by Eric L. Harry. Not so much redirection as aborting the attack in-flight.
Thanks for the answers everyone, so basically the moral of the story is that before you push the Big Red Button make sure you really mean it!
